Namibia sees ‘opportunity’ ahead of Zim series

Meeting for five T20Is in Bulawayo this week, Namibia aims to roll over African Full Member rivals Zimbabwe.

In the Associate world, seldom is there a safety blanket. One of cricket’s Cinderella stories of 2021, the Eagles of Namibia travel to Bulawayo to take on Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series, starting tomorrow, 17 May.

Already qualified for the 2022 edition off the back of their heroics in UAE last year, the series provides a strong examination ahead of the tournament in Australia, but it comes with a catch for Namibia.

With T20I rankings likely to dictate who will seal an automatic spot for 2024 and who will be forced to enter through continental qualification, a strong performance could also go a long way to securing a ticket for USA and the West Indies as early as November 2022.

No one lived the rollercoaster of the 2021 campaign more than Namibian skipper Gerhard Erasmus, who in spite of breaking a finger during the warm-up phase of the tournament still led his side through a tough First Round group in the field and with the bat.

Again though, the fickle and cut-throat nature of the game under Full Membership proved the ups are matched by downs.

Running into strong UAE and Oman outfits in Cricket World Cup League 2, and admittedly not at their best in the T20 format against Uganda albeit with a rotated squad, Namibia are eager to find the winning formula once more.

The 27-year-old Erasmus too hasn’t had the happiest 2022 either. Breaking bones in his hand a second and third time after the freak incident in UAE, the right-hander admits the last five months have been rocky, just to ensure he can take the field again.

“We always knew that a big tournament like that (the 2021 T20 World Cup) would take a bit of its toll on us, and it’s quite mentally and physically draining too. You’ve got a long way to come back either by training or having to get out on the park to get to the level again of cricket that you’re required to be at. It is quite a journey and it’s quite mentally telling. It’s not really a place you want to be too often to come back. It’s mentally draining.”

Erasmus is available for the series in a boost to the team, as is wicket keeper Zane Green, though the loss of Stephen Baard to injury means another shuffle at the top of the batting order. Ruben Trumpelmann and all-rounder JJ Smit have also had their bowling workloads managed, a theme that may continue in the series.