Namibia

Cricket Namibia logo
Nickname(s)	Eagles[1]
Association	Cricket Namibia
Personnel
Captain	Gerhard Erasmus
Coach	Pierre de Bruyn
International Cricket Council
ICC status	Associate Member with ODI status (1992)
ICC region	Africa
ICC Rankings Current[2] Best-ever ODI 18th 14th (22 September 2022) T20I 14th 11th (22 November 2023)
One Day Internationals
First ODI	v.  Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club, Harare; 10 February 2003
Last ODI	v.  United Arab Emirates at United Ground, Windhoek; 26 September 2024
ODIs Played Won/Lost Total[3] 60 28/31 (0 ties, 1 no result) This year[4] 12 5/7 (0 ties, 0 no results)
World Cup appearances	1 (first in 2003)
Best result	First round (2003)
World Cup Qualifier appearances	6 (first in 1994)
Best result	Runner-up (2001)
Twenty20 Internationals
First T20I	v.  Ghana at Kyambogo Cricket Oval, Kampala; 20 May 2019
Last T20I	v.  United States at Wanderers Cricket Ground, Windhoek; 5 October 2024
T20Is Played Won/Lost Total[5] 72 42/28 (1 ties, 1 no result) This year[6] 20 6/12 (1 ties, 1 no result)
T20 World Cup appearances	2 (first in 2021)
Best result	Super 12 (2021)
T20 World Cup Qualifier appearances	5[a] (first in 2012)
Best result	Champions (2023)
ODI and T20I kit
As of 13 November 2024

The Namibia men's national cricket team (nicknamed the Eagles) is the men's cricket team representing the Republic of Namibia in international cricket. It is organised by Cricket Namibia, which became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1992.^[7]

A team representing South West Africa played in South African domestic competitions prior to Namibia's independence in 1990. After joining the ICC, the country soon became one of the leading ICC associate members in Africa. Namibia finished second at the 2001 ICC Trophy, thereby qualifying for the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa. The team made its One Day International (ODI) debut at the tournament but failed to win a match. Beginning in 2004, Namibia participated in every edition of the ICC Intercontinental Cup, finishing runners-up in 2007–08. It also featured at the highest levels of the World Cricket League (WCL), twice participating in the WCL Championship, and finished third at the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier.

Namibia were runners-up at the 2019 WCL Division Two tournament to secure the ODI status and qualify for the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2. The team finished fourth at the 2019 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier to qualify for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. It subsequently recorded its first World Cup victories, defeating the Netherlands and Ireland in the first round of the tournament to progress to the Super 12 stage.^[8]

The earliest instance of cricket being played in Windhoek dates back to 1909 when South West Africa was very much a German colony.^[9] During the First World War (1914), South African troops opened assault in the region. A game of cricket was recorded in the Okonjande prisoner of war camp near Otjiwarongo.^[10] South Africa captured South West Africa following Germany's defeat. It came under the League of Nations mandate in the Union of South Africa.

Following this, cricket was regularly played in the Western Province. The South West Africa Cricket Union was formed in 1930 and the first organised matches were played in the region.^[11] South West Africa began playing in the South African Country Cricket Association's annual competition in the 1961–62 season.^[12]

South West Africa competed in the South African Country Cricket Association's annual competition between 1961 and 1989.^[13] In 1966, the Namibian war of Independence was launched by the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, an armed wing of SWAPO. South West African rebels welcomed the sporting boycott of the South African apartheid regime and lent their support to the "Stop the seventy tour" campaign.

South West Africa played their last domestic season in South Africa in January 1989. In April, PLAN launched its final guerrilla campaign and the South West Africa Cricket Union severed their ties with the South African Cricket Board (SACB).

In November 1989, a Namibian team toured Botswana and played their first international fixture,^[14] although the Namibian Cricket Board were not affiliated to the International Cricket Council until 1992.

After the Botswana tour, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club visited Namibia in March 1990, taking part in the Independence Day celebrations.^[15] This was followed by a visit from The Netherlands in April.^[16] Before the formation of the African Cricket Association, the SCSA Zone VI cricket federation was formed after two schoolboy cricket tours between Namibia and Botswana in 1989 and 1990.^[17] The inaugural ACA tournament was held in Windhoek in September 1991, with Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Lesotho and Botswana playing as well as an Oxford University Cricket Club side.^[17]

The road to the 2003 Cricket World Cup started with the 2001 ICC Trophy in Canada. Namibia reached the final at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, losing to the Netherlands, but still qualifying for their first World Cup.^[18] Namibia then hosted the ICC 6 Nations Challenge in April 2002, finishing fourth^[19] and had a disappointing Africa Cup campaign that September, finishing fourth in their group and beating only Tanzania,^[20] before losing four matches against Zimbabwe A a few weeks later.^[21] A tour of Kenya was more successful, as Namibia beat Kenya in a four match one-day series.^[22] Following this, Namibia took part in the top level of South African domestic one-day cricket, the Standard Bank Cup, but lost all five of their games.^[23] Bangladesh toured in January 2003, winning the five match one-day series 4–1.^[24]

The World Cup itself started on 10 February 2003 in Harare with Zimbabwe beating Namibia by 86 runs in Namibia's debut One Day International (ODI).^[25]

10 February 2003 Scorecard

Zimbabwe  340/2 (50 overs)

v

Namibia 104/5 (25.1 overs)

Zimbabwe won by 86 runs (D/L) Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe (First ODI match for Namibia)

They went on to lose to Pakistan by 171 runs,^[26] before a 55 run defeat at the hands of England in which Namibia performed with some credit, Jan-Berrie Burger winning the man of the match award for his innings of 85 runs that came close to helping the side pull off an unlikely upset.^[27] They then lost by 181 runs to India^[28] and by 256 runs against Australia,^[29] the eventual winners of the tournament,^[30] in what at the time was the biggest winning margin in One Day Internationals.^[31] The tournament finished with a 64 run loss to fellow qualifiers the Netherlands.^[32]

In August 2003, Zimbabwe A toured Namibia. Namibia won the one-day series 2–1, but lost both three-day games.^[33] A return visit to Zimbabwe the following January saw Namibia win a five match one-day series against Zimbabwe A 4–1, also winning a match against Zimbabwe Under-19s.^[34] Bangladesh toured Namibia in February, winning all three one-day games and drawing the three-day game.^[35] Following this, Namibia travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the 2004 ICC Six Nations Challenge. They finished third on run rate after beating Canada, the Netherlands and the UAE and losing to Scotland and the USA.^[36] Namibia played two ICC Intercontinental Cup matches against Kenya and Uganda in 2004, losing them both.^[37] In between the two matches, they won an African nations tournament in Zambia.^[38] Later in the year, they took part in Zimbabwe's national one-day domestic competition, in which they finished as runners-up.^[39] Whilst in Zimbabwe, they won two matches against the national side.^[40] This was followed by a visit to Namibia by England, who won both matches.^[41]

Zimbabwe A again visited Namibia in early 2005, losing both one-day matches that finished.^[42] Pakistan A were the next visitors in April, winning all three one-day matches and drawing in the three-day game.^[43] This was followed by their two regional group games in the 2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup. Whilst they were unbeaten, winning against Uganda and drawing against Kenya, this was not enough to qualify for the semi-finals.^[44] They then visited Ireland to take part in the 2005 ICC Trophy. They finished 7th after beating Denmark in their final play-off game.^[45] Back at home, they hosted New Zealand at the end of July, losing both games,^[46] losing by only 29 runs after conceding 330/6.^[47] In October of that year, they hosted the semi-finals of the Intercontinental Cup, despite failing to qualify. While the final was being played, they played a two match one-day series against Bermuda after they had been knocked out of the tournament, winning both games, but the games were tarnished by controversial incidents, with the Bermuda team accusing the Namibian team of racist insults, and walking off in the second game when a flurry of bouncers were unleashed at the lower order Bermuda batsmen.^[48] The Namibian Cricket Board denied the allegations of racism.^[49]

In March 2006, Namibia met Nepal in a challenge match to decide who got the eighth and final spot in the 2006 ICC Intercontinental Cup. The match was drawn, with Namibia getting a first innings lead, thus qualifying them for the main tournament. The main tournament itself started with an innings defeat by Scotland in Aberdeen before a five wicket defeat by Ireland in Dublin, both matches in May.^[50] In the 2006–07 South African cricket season, Namibia took part in the second tier of first-class and List A cricket, the South African Airways Challenge. They finished second in their group in the three-day tournament^[51] and third in their group in the one-day tournament, missing out on reaching the semi-finals by one win.^[52] In the midst of the matches in those tournaments, they played their third and final 2006 Intercontinental Cup match, beating the UAE by an innings.^[50] On 1 April 2007, they became part of the ICC's High Performance Program.^[53]

In November/December 2007, Namibia hosted Division Two of the World Cricket League where they played against Argentina, Denmark, Oman, the UAE and Uganda. Although Namibia won three of their five group matches, it was not enough for them to progress to the final. Namibia beat Denmark in the third place playoff. On the basis of their top four finish in this tournament, Namibia qualified for the ICC World Cup Qualifier in 2009, the final tournament in qualification for the 2011 World Cup.

Namibia again took part in the second tier of South African domestic cricket between October 2007 and February 2008.^[54] They played a 2007–08 ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Canada in October 2007, playing the remaining games against Bermuda, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands, Scotland and the UAE in 2008.^[55]

Namibia won the 2009–10 ICC Intercontinental Shield defeating the United Arab Emirates by six wickets in Dubai.^[56] In 2011 Namibia participated in Division Two and finished as runners-up, on this occasion behind the UAE.^[57]

In July 2011, the country competed in the ICC Twenty20 World Cricket League Africa Division One competition in Uganda, winning all eight group matches before succumbing to the hosts in the Final by six wickets.^[58] During this tournament, all-rounder Louis van der Westhuizen struck 16 sixes in an innings of 159* against Kenya, as part of a team total of 262/1 from 20 overs.

In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Namibia and other ICC members since 1 January 2019 have the full T20I status.^[59] Namibia's first T20I match was against Ghana on 20 May 2019 in the Regional Final of the 2018–19 ICC World Twenty20 Africa Qualifier tournament. They won the match comfortably.

20 May 2019 13:50 Scorecard

Ghana  91/7 (20 overs)	v	Namibia 92/1 (10.5 overs)
Simon Ateak 26 (22) Zhivago Groenewald 3/20 (4 overs)		Stephan Baard 52* (34) Vincent Ateak 1/27 (3 overs)

Namibia won by 9 wickets Kyambogo Cricket Oval, Kampala Umpires: Iknow Chabi (Zim) and Kehinde Olanbiwonnu (Nga) Player of the match: Stephan Baard (Nam)

• Namibia won the toss and elected to field.
• First T20I match for Namibia.

In July 2020, the Namibia Men's team won the ICC Associate Member Men's Performance of the Year award, after gaining One Day International (ODI) status, in the ICC's Annual Development Awards to recognise developing cricketing nations.^[60][61]

Namibia qualified for the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates when they finished 4th in the 2019 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament in October and November 2019.^[62] They lost their first match against Sri Lanka but recorded a historic first-ever win at a World Cup event when they beat The Netherlands by 6 wickets in Abu Dhabi on 20 October 2021.^[63] On 22 October 2021 in the next match against Ireland, Namibia made history by winning the match by 8 wickets and qualified for the Super 12 stage of the tournament.^[64] On 27 October 2021, in the first Super 12 match for Namibia, they registered another historic win, defeating Scotland by 4 wickets.

22 October 14:00 Scorecard

Ireland  125/8 (20 overs)	v	Namibia 126/2 (18.3 overs)
Paul Stirling 38 (24) Jan Frylinck 3/21 (4 overs)		Gerhard Erasmus 53* (49) Curtis Campher 2/14 (3 overs)

Namibia won by 8 wickets Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah Umpires: Chris Brown (NZ) and Aleem Dar (Pak) Player of the match: David Wiese (Nam)

• Ireland won the toss and elected to bat.
• Namibia qualified for the Super 12 stage.

In the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, Namibia defeated Asia Cup champions and world number 8 side Sri Lanka in a stunning upset to open the tournament.

16 October 2022 15:00 Scorecard

Namibia  163/7 (20 overs)	v	Sri Lanka 108 (19 overs)
Jan Frylinck 44 (28) Pramod Madushan 2/37 (4 overs)		Dasun Shanaka 29 (23) David Wiese 2/16 (4 overs)

Namibia won by 55 runs Kardinia Park, Geelong Umpires: Rod Tucker (Aus) and Joel Wilson (WI) Player of the match: Jan Frylinck (Nam)

• Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field.

Namibia are participating in the inaugural 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off, a part of the qualification process for 2023 Cricket World Cup, as the hosts.^[65] They got their maiden win in the tournament against Papua New Guinea, as they won the match by 48 runs.^[66] Namibia's score of 381 runs was the highest total by an associate nation in an ODI match.^[67]

29 March 2023 09:30 Scorecard

Namibia  381/8 (50 overs)	v	Papua New Guinea 333 (46.2 overs)
Gerhard Erasmus 125 (113) Semo Kamea 5/68 (10 overs)		Charles Amini 109 (75) Ruben Trumpelmann 3/63 (8.2 overs)

Namibia won by 48 runs United Ground, Windhoek Umpires: Patric Makumbi (Uga) and Isaac Oyieko (Ken) Player of the match: Gerhard Erasmus (Nam)

• Papua New Guinea won the toss and elected to field.

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WAP Affies Park

United Ground

Wanderers

Windhoek High School

Sparta Cricket Club Ground

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Locations of all stadiums which have hosted an international cricket match within Namibia

International match summary – Namibia^[68][69]

Last updated 5 October 2024

• Highest team total: 381/8 v. Papua New Guinea on 29 March 2023 at United Ground, Windhoek.^[70]
• Highest individual score: 136, Jean-Pierre Kotze v. United States on 20 September 2019 at Central Broward Regional Park, Lauderhill.^[71]
• Best individual bowling figures: 6/42, Tangeni Lungameni v. Papua New Guinea on 26 November 2022 at Wanderers, Windhoek.^[72]

ODI record versus other nations^[68]

Records complete to ODI #4776. Last updated 26 September 2024.

Opponent	M	W	L	NR	First match	First win
Full members
Australia	1	0	1	0	27 February 2003
England	1	0	1	0	19 February 2003
India	1	0	1	0	23 February 2003
Pakistan	1	0	1	0	16 February 2003
Zimbabwe	1	0	1	0	10 February 2003
Associate Members
Canada	1	1	0	0	4 April 2023	4 April 2023
Jersey	1	1	0	0	30 March 2023	30 March 2023
Nepal	8	5	2	1	11 July 2022	11 July 2022
Netherlands	3	1	2	0	3 March 2003	23 February 2024
Oman	9	6	3	0	27 April 2019	27 April 2019
Papua New Guinea	7	7	0	0	22 September 2019	22 September 2019
Scotland	8	1	7	0	10 July 2022	5 December 2022
United Arab Emirates	9	2	7	0	6 January 2020	25 February 2023
United States	9	4	5	0	17 September 2019	20 September 2019

• Highest team total: 240/3 v. Botswana on 20 August 2019 at United Ground, Windhoek.^[75]
• Highest individual score: 101*, Jean-Pierre Kotze v. Botswana on 20 August 2019 at United Ground, Windhoek.^[76]
• Best individual bowling figures: 6/10, JJ Smit v. Uganda on 10 April 2022 at United Ground, Windhoek.^[77]

T20I record versus other nations^[69]

Records complete to T20I #2896. Last updated 5 October 2024.

Opponent	M	W	L	T	NR	First match	First win
Full members
Afghanistan	1	0	1	0	0	31 October 2021
Australia	1	0	1	0	0	11 June 2024
England	1	0	1	0	0	15 June 2024
India	1	0	1	0	0	8 November 2021
Ireland	2	1	1	0	0	2 November 2019	22 October 2021
New Zealand	1	0	1	0	0	5 November 2021
Pakistan	1	0	1	0	0	2 November 2021
Sri Lanka	2	1	1	0	0	18 October 2021	16 October 2022
Zimbabwe	11	7	4	0	0	17 May 2022	19 May 2022
Associate Members
Bermuda	1	1	0	0	0	23 October 2019	23 October 2019
Botswana	5	5	0	0	0	22 May 2019	22 May 2019
Ghana	1	1	0	0	0	20 May 2019	20 May 2019
Kenya	2	2	0	0	0	25 October 2019	25 October 2019
Nepal	2	1	1	0	0	27 February 2024	27 February 2024
Netherlands	5	1	3	0	1	19 October 2019	20 October 2021
Nigeria	2	1	1	0	0	30 November 2023	30 November 2023
Oman	7	4	2	1	0	29 October 2019	29 October 2019
Papua New Guinea	3	1	2	0	0	20 October 2019	10 October 2021
Rwanda	1	1	0	0	0	25 November 2023	25 November 2023
Scotland	4	3	1	0	0	22 October 2019	27 October 2021
Singapore	1	1	0	0	0	26 October 2019	26 October 2019
Tanzania	2	2	0	0	0	28 November 2023	28 November 2023
Uganda	9	8	1	0	0	21 May 2019	21 May 2019
United Arab Emirates	4	1	3	0	0	5 October 2021	5 October 2021
United States	2	0	2	0	0	1 October 2024

ODI World Cup record
Year	Round	Position	GP	W	L	T	NR
1975	Not eligible[7]
1979
1983
1987
1992
1996	Did not qualify
1999
2003	Group stage	14/14	6	0	6	0	0
2007	Did not qualify
2011
2015
2019
2023
2027	TBD
2031
Total	Group stage	1/12	6	0	6	0	0

ICC T20 World Cup
Year	Round	Position	GP	W	L	T	NR
2007	Did not qualify
2009	Did not qualify
2010	Did not qualify
2012	Did not qualify
2014	Did not qualify
2016	Did not qualify
2021	Super 12	10/16	8	3	5	0	0
2022	Group stage	13/16	3	1	2	0	0
2024	Group stage	15/20	4	1	3	0	0
Total	Super 12	3/9	15	5	10	0	0

Namibia did not play in the ICC Trophy between 1979 and 1990 as they were not a member of the ICC at the time.^[7]

• 2004: First round^[37]
• 2005: First round^[44]
• 2006: First round^[50]
• 2007–08: Losing finalist
• 2009–10 (Shield): Winners
• 2011–13: 5th place
• 2015–17: 8th place

• 2007 Division Two: 3rd place^[80]
• 2011 Division Two: 2nd place
• 2011–13 Championship: 7th place
• 2015 Division Two: 2nd place
• 2015–17 Championship: 8th place
• 2018 Division Two: 4th place
• 2019 Division Two: Winners

• 2000: Did not participate^[81]
• 2002: 1st place^[19]
• 2004: 3rd place^[36]

• African Games
  • Silver medal (1): 2023

Updated as on 7 April 2024

This lists all the active players who have played for Namibia in the past year and the forms in which they have played, and any players (in italics) outside this criterion who have been selected in the team's most recent ODI or T20I squad.

Name	Age	Batting style	Bowling style	Forms	Last ODI	Last T20I
Batters
Niko Davin	26	Right-handed	Right-arm leg break	ODI, T20I	2024	2024
Jean-Pierre Kotze	30	Left-handed	—	ODI, T20I	2024	2024
Malan Kruger	29	Right-handed	—	ODI, T20I	2024	2024
Dylan Leicher	20	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	T20I	—	2023
Michael van Lingen	27	Left-handed	Left-arm medium	ODI, T20I	2024	2024
All-rounders
Karl Birkenstock	28	Left-handed	Right-arm fast-medium	ODI	2023	2021
Gerhard Erasmus	29	Right-handed	Right-arm off break	ODI (C), T20I (C)	2024	2024
Shaun Fouché	24	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	ODI	2023	2024
Jan Frylinck	30	Left-handed	Left-arm fast-medium	ODI, T20I	2024	2024
Gerhard Janse van Rensburg	19	Right-handed	Right-arm leg break	T20I	—	2024
Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton	23	Left-handed	Right-arm leg break	ODI, T20I	2024	2024
JJ Smit	29	Right-handed	Left-arm medium-fast	ODI (VC), T20I (VC)	2024	2024
Peter-Daniel Blignaut	19	Right-handed	Right-arm medium-fast	T20I, ODI	2024	2024
Wicket-keeper
Zane Green	28	Left-handed	—	T20I	2024	2024
Pace bowlers
Jack Brassell	19	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	ODI, T20I	2024	2024
Tangeni Lungameni	32	Left-handed	Left-arm medium	ODI, T20I	2024	2024
Ben Shikongo	24	Right-handed	Right-arm medium-fast	ODI, T20I	2023	2023
Simon Shikongo		Right-handed	Right-arm medium-fast	T20I	—	2024
Ruben Trumpelmann	26	Right-handed	Left-arm fast-medium	ODI, T20I	2024	2024
Spin bowlers
Bernard Scholtz	34	Right-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox	ODI, T20I	2024	2024
Pikky Ya France	34	Right-handed	Right-arm off break	ODI, T20I	2023	2023

• Cricket in Namibia
• List of Namibia ODI cricketers
• List of Namibia Twenty20 International cricketers
• List of Namibian first-class cricketers
• Namibia national under-19 cricket team
• Namibia women's national cricket team

• South African Cricket Annual – various editions
• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – various editions
• Cricket Namibia official site