Namibia to host ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa qualifier Erasmus Shalihaxwe Namibia will host the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup Africa qualifier in Windhoek from 31 August to 6 September 2025. Cricket Namibia announced on Monday that the tournament will feature eight countries competing for two spots at the Global Qualifier for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Chief executive officer Johan Muller said the event marks a milestone for women’s cricket in the region.  “Namibia is pleased to host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier and to welcome seven international teams to our new home of cricket. This event is not only about qualification but also about celebrating the incredible rise of women’s cricket in Africa. We hope all participants enjoy the competition and the warm hospitality our country is known for,” he said. The tournament will be played at the new FNB Namibia Cricket Ground and the HP Cricket Oval, both of which are set to co-host World Cup matches. Participating countries include hosts Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda. Rwanda and Sierra Leone already secured their qualification in July after finishing first and second at the ICC Africa Division Two qualifier in Botswana but will still take part in the Windhoek event. Namibia will aim to use home advantage, while Zimbabwe and Uganda enter as the higher-ranked teams. Fixtures are expected to be tightly contested, with emerging African nations determined to prove themselves. Meanwhile, Cricket Namibia also confirmed the men’s squad to tour Canada from 27 August to 6 September 2025. The FNB Eagles will be led by head coach Craig Williams, assisted by Justin Kemp and Evert Laubscher. The travelling squad includes captain Gerhard Erasmus, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Bernard Scholtz, Zane Green, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smith, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, WP Myburg, Malan Kruger, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, JC Balt, Dylan Leicher, Tangeni Lungameni, and Jan-Izak De Villiers.

#WomensCricket #ICT20WorldCup #CricketNamibia #Namibia2025 #WomenInSports

T20 league to shape next cricket stars Justicia Shipena The 2025 T20 Franchise Competition is set to identify future talent for the country’s high-performance squad and national cricket team.  As the country’s top cricket league for clubs, it offers top players a competitive platform to showcase their skills and earn national selection. Cricket Namibia launched the tournament last week, introducing four franchise teams and their sponsors.  The matches will be played over the first two weekends of August at the FNB Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. Cricket Namibia CEO Johan Muller welcomed the sponsors and praised their investment in the sport. “We are excited and privileged to have corporate partners investing in the growth of cricket in Namibia. Thank you for your commitment and for taking ownership of teams in our franchise. Your support is invaluable to the development of our game,” he said. The four franchise teams and sponsors are Pupkewitz Motors (Pupkewitz Motors Wildcats), Nutritional Performance Labs (NPL Bears), Paratus Namibia (Paratus Jets), and Eavion (Eavion Eagles).  Each franchise has 14 players, drafted by team owners and coaches from a pool of registered players. Team owners first drew lots to select their coaches before building their squads.  The competition is expected to offer a competitive club platform and strengthen the national player development system. Pupkewitz Motors managing director Anton Westraadt said the partnership aligns with the company’s team-driven business model. “Cricket works quite similar to our business operations. Teamwork wins the game – the same applies in our sales team, dealerships, workshops, parts, and admin pull together that wins loyal customers. Every run counts like every deal. In the automotive industry, every sale, every extra bit of service excellence adds up to our results. We are pleased to work with Cricket Namibia as we share the same values,” he said. Paratus Namibia managing director Andrew Hall said their support reflects a long-term commitment to sport development. “We are proud not just as a connectivity provider but as a committed partner to Namibian sport and the exciting journey of cricket in our country. Our brand is built on reliability, resilience, and the belief that with the right support, anything is possible, which is why this partnership with Cricket Namibia is more than sponsorship; it’s a pledge to power the next generation of talent and give Namibians a team they can rally behind,” Hall said. Meanwhile, Eavion managing director Jean Basson highlighted Cricket Namibia’s grassroots focus as a reason for supporting the league. “We’ve had the privilege of partnering with Cricket Namibia as both the mechanical and electrical engineers for the new stadium. What impressed us most wasn’t just the national teams but the deep commitment to growth, from youth cricket development to community outreach. So, when the opportunity came to support this new T20 franchise, we didn’t hesitate. Because what this franchise represents is not just sport. It’s ambition. It’s resilience. It’s innovation. And that’s something we relate to deeply,” said Basson. Riaan Grobler from Nutritional Performance Labs stated that the partnership aims to improve player performance. “Our partnership with Cricket Namibia is built on a shared vision: to fuel the success of Namibia’s top cricketers. At NPL, we understand the demands of the game and are proud to support players with high-quality nutritional products. Looking ahead, we are particularly excited about the upcoming T20 Franchise and the continued general performance growth of Cricket Namibia. We believe our nutritional support, combined with their talent and dedication, will help drive even more success,” Grobler said. Team Line-Ups  Pupkewitz Motors Wildcats (Coaches: Fortune Matawu & Justin Kemp) Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, Malan Kruger, Dylan Leicher, Tangeni Lungameni, Leo Sadler, Fungai Hlupo, Max Heingo, Michael Muller, Roan van Vuuren, Dan Brassell, Mauritius Ngupita, PD Blignaut, Junior Tanyanda NPL Bears (Coach: Craig Williams) Gerhard Erasmus, Bernard Scholtz, Niko Davin, Handre Klazinga, Jack Brassell, Juan Viljoen, Drikus Swart, Ben Brassell, Erik Lintvelt, Waldo Smith, Shaun Fouché, Lohan Louwrens, WP Myburgh, Addo Iita Eavion Eagles (Coach: Oscar Nauhaus) JJ Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann, Michael van Lingen, JC Balt, Michau du Preez, Ruan van Rooyen, Sibusiso Maseko, Tiaan van der Merwe, Markus van Heerden, Douglas Truter, Alexander Volschenk, Josh Julius, Junior Kariata, Karl Birkenstock Paratus Jets (Coach: Evert Laubscher) Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Zane Green, Jan-Izak de Villiers, Ben Shikongo, Zhivago Groenewald, MJM Bakker, Sam Wearne, Adriaan Coetzee, Faf du Plessis, Jandre de Jager, Zacheo van Vuuren, Dian Neethling, Simon Shikongo, Samson Chivi

#T20Cricket #FutureStars #CricketNamibia #FranchiseLeague #NationalTeam

Capricorn Eagles lock in squad for CSA series Erasmus Shalihaxwe Cricket Namibia has announced the Capricorn Eagles squad that will face the Cricket South Africa Women’s Emerging Academy in an upcoming series of matches. The series will begin with T20 matches at the FNB Cricket Stadium.  The first T20 is scheduled for Wednesday, followed by the second match on Thursday. The third match will be played on Saturday, with the final T20 on Sunday. The 50-over series will start on Tuesday next week. The second match is set for Thursday, and the final one will take place on Saturday. The Capricorn Eagles squad includes Sune Wittmann, Kayleen Green, Edelle van Zyl, Yasmeen Khan, Mekelaye Mwatile, Wilka Mwatile, Mezerley Gorases, Arrasta Diergaardt, Sylvia Shihepo, Victoria Hamunyela, Naomi Benjamin, Saima Tuhadeleni, Bianca Manuel, and Leigh-Marie Visser. Meanwhile, the FNB Eagles men’s team lost their recent series match by 65 runs against the visiting Assam side. The team is expected to tour Canada in the coming weeks.

#CapricornEagles #CricketNamibia #CSASeries #T20Cricket #WomensCricket

Cricket Namibia proposes stadium project in Erongo Erasmus Shalihaxwe Cricket Namibia’s chief executive officer, Johan Muller, has asked the Erongo regional governor, Neville Andre, to allocate land for the construction of an international cricket stadium in the region. Muller made the request this week during the opening of the Mondesa Cricket Hub in Swakopmund.  The new facility, located at Hanganeni Primary School, is part of Cricket Namibia’s drive to bring the sport closer to communities and give young players in the coastal town a chance to train on proper turf. “Honourable governor, we purposefully invited you to the new Cricket Namibia ground in Windhoek, and we hosted you on the first level of the new building while it was still a construction site. We came to you with this approach – give us land in your region to develop this facility. We are ready; as Cricket Namibia, we are ready to build. We want to build a second international cricket facility in Namibia, and we want to build it in your region,” said Muller. He said Swakopmund has been key to the development of various sports and should also host an international standard stadium.  Muller noted that the Erongo region has produced players who went on to represent the national team, the Eagles. “Honourable, we are committed, we are ready and we are waiting for your appointment on Friday, and then maybe we can drive this thing forward,” he said. The cricket hub was opened in partnership with Langer Heinrich Uranium.  Muller thanked Langer Heinrich Uranium for its support and commitment to developing young talent. “We are incredibly grateful to Langer Heinrich Uranium for believing in the power of sport and investing in the community. This hub is more than just a training ground; it’s a platform of hope and opportunity. We look forward to seeing the talent this facility will nurture and the positive impact it will have across the region,” he said. Meanwhile, Andre praised Cricket Namibia for its efforts in growing the sport across the country and raising the nation’s international profile. “I want to thank Cricket Namibia for achieving this. We are a country that is participating in international competitions. And, for a small country like ours that is now hosting international games, it is because of our collaboration and the hard work of our leadership at Cricket Namibia. We must be hopeful that more is still to come. We must unite and hold hands because we want a better Namibia,” said Andre. The launch of the Mondesa Cricket Hub was attended by regional and local leaders, including Swakopmund deputy mayor Suamma Kautondokwa, Langer Heinrich Uranium managing director Johan Roux, Hanganeni Primary School principal Bertha Kadhila, and players from Cricket Namibia’s High Performance programme.

#CricketNamibia #Erongo #CricketStadium #SportsDevelopment #YouthCricket

Cricket Namibia and Langer Heinrich Uranium Team Up to Boost Grassroots Cricket [Namibia Economist] Cricket Namibia, in partnership with Langer Heinrich Uranium, officially opened the Mondesa Cricket Hub in Swakopmund.

#CricketNamibia #GrassrootsCricket #MondesaCricketHub #LangerHeinrichUranium #Namibia

Cricket Namibia and Langer Heinrich Uranium team up to boost grassroots cricket - Namibia Economist Cricket Namibia and Langer Heinrich Uranium team up to boost grassroots cricket  Namibia Economist

#CricketNamibia #GrassrootsCricket #LangerHeinrichUranium #NamibiaEconomist #CricketCommunity

Young cricketers set for UK tour Justicia Shipena A group of young cricketers will tour England at the end of June to take part in the Apex International Cricket Festival. Cricket Namibia announced that the team will represent the country at the invitation-only T20 tournament, which runs from 29 June to 2 July 2025.  The event will take place at Millfield School in the United Kingdom and is co-hosted by former England internationals Sir Andrew Strauss and Ebony Rainford-Brent. The 2025 festival brings together elite youth teams from Namibia, South Africa, and Guernsey. It offers a platform for high-performance competition, player development, and international exposure. Cricket Namibia’s team will travel from 20 June to 4 July 2025. Preparations are already underway for the tour. As part of the experience, players will receive coaching from international professionals.  They will also take part in mentorship sessions and life skills workshops aimed at supporting their growth both on and off the field. To support the tour, Cricket Namibia recently hosted a golf day fundraising event at the FNB Namibia Cricket Ground.  The event brought together members of the public and corporate sponsors to help fund travel and preparation.  It also reflected efforts to invest in youth development and grow the sport. Cricket Namibia has wished the squad success during the tour. The 14-member squad includes Gerhard Genis, Armand Scholtz, Henco Van Der Merwe, Janco Duvenage, Janco Schlechter, JW Junius, Louis Burger, Luan Brand, Markus van Heerden, Max Fourie, Michael Muller, Ruhan Boonzaaier, Rowan van Vuuren, and Petrus Iyambo. The team will be led by coach Oscar Nauhaus, with Nolene Winborn as team manager.

#Cricket #YouthSports #CricketNamibia #T20Tournament #ApexInternationalCricketFestival

Nedbank Desert Ice Challenge T20 League returns  Nedbank Namibia, through its Beyond Banking Division, has extended its support of the Desert Ice Challenge T20 League by providing a N$150 000 sponsorship for the 2025 season. This is the second year running that Nedbank Namibia will be sponsoring one of the country’s most prestigious cricket leagues through a partnership with Impact Cricket Namibia. The N$150 000 sponsorship from Nedbank Namibia, through the Avo SuperShop and Paytoday platforms, will provide the league with essential resources, which will enable the organisers to host exceptional cricket events during the tournament. The director of Impact Cricket Namibia, Asad Abbas, said after realising the significant gap in the level of skills between Namibian players and other countries, they decided to come up with various strategies (one of them being the Desert Ice Challenge T20 League) that will allow players to improve their skills:  ‘While travelling to different countries, we observed that the high skill level in cricket is a result of having many players participating from various backgrounds, as well as the frequency of games and exposure they receive. For example, a player in South Africa will have played thousands of competitive cricket games against thousands of different players before making it to the national team, while a player in Namibia would have played a few hundred games against fewer than a hundred players.’  This is where Impact Cricket came up with the idea of the Desert Ice Challenge T20 League, whose aim is to develop and support the expansion of cricket as a sport of choice nationwide. Abbas said: ‘We have started a new trend for cricket in the country to enable the sport to be played continuously throughout the year, including players from across all leagues. This is one of the country’s most prestigious cricket tournaments, offering a platform for over 180 players from national, premier, and junior divisions to compete in a professionally managed and competitive environment.’  He added that Nedbank Namibia’s renewed commitment to sponsor the 2025 edition of the Desert Ice Challenge T20 League, organised by Impact Cricket Namibia, carries significant weight for both the development of cricket in Namibia and the broader goals of community upliftment. Abbas said Nedbank Namibia’s sponsorship of N$150 000 through its Avo SuperShop and Paytoday platforms, for the 2025 Desert Ice Challenge T20 League is not merely financial but is a strategic investment in grassroots sports development. The money will be used for the planning and executing of the challenge through sourcing of fields; payment of groundsmen, umpires, scorers, media crew, content creators; team branding; social media; digital media; print media coverage; live scores; livestreaming; and prize money.  Meanwhile, Cricket Namibia’s Johan Muller said that as a federation, they are proud of the work being done by the organisers of the Desert Ice Challenge:  ‘The main benefits to cricket through this initiative are that cricket is now played at the senior level and at the recreational level, and some of the juniors who integrate into this competition on an annual basis. There are no more domestic seasons; it means that players can be involved in the game for the entire year, with different competitions. What is quite nice about this competition is that it’s breaking away slightly from the traditional club setup, as it allows corporates and partners to become involved in club cricket.’  Muller added that the youth get the opportunity to play with some more senior players under their guidance, with some national players also participating in the competition:  ‘Another benefit is that this competition is not just Windhoek-based; it’s also played in Tsumeb, Gobabis and at the coast, which means that cricket is taken throughout the country. Overall, this initiative has brought quite many benefits from a cricket perspective, and even though it is not a Cricket Namibia tournament, it is great to see how it has grown over the last two years.’  Nedbank Namibia Head of Beyond Banking, Roean Kruger said that by sponsoring the 2025 Impact Cricket, Nedbank Namibia is proud to be part of the positive trajectory journey of Namibian cricket:  ‘As money experts, our commitment to the communities we serve extends far beyond traditional banking. Our sponsorship of the 2025 Desert Ice Challenge T20 League is a clear demonstration of this ‘Beyond Banking’ philosophy. We are thrilled to once again partner and support this initiative. These programs do more than just teach the technicalities of the game; they are instrumental in instilling crucial life values such as teamwork and discipline, as well as the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle.’ He added that Nedbank Namibia values the power of sport to shape lives and build a stronger nation, as evidenced by its long entrenchment in the development of cricket in Namibia through supporting initiatives that nurture talent from grassroots levels to competitive stages:  ‘This continued investment in Impact Cricket underscores our dedication to fostering its growth and ensuring more young Namibians can participate and excel. By investing in Impact Cricket, we are investing in the future leaders and well-rounded citizens of Namibia, and we eagerly anticipate another year of exciting development and community engagement through this fantastic initiative.’ The post Nedbank Desert Ice Challenge T20 League returns  appeared first on The Namibian.

#Nedbank #DesertIceChallenge #T20League #CricketNamibia #SportsSponsorship

Erasmus Wins Three Awards [Namibian] Namibia Eagles captain Gerhard Erasmus capped a great season by winning three awards at Cricket Namibia's annual award ceremony on Saturday night.

#Erasmus #CricketNamibia #NamibiaEagles #CricketAwards #SportsAchievement

Capricorn Eagles gets new assistant coach Justicia Shipena  Cricket Namibia has appointed Gerhard Lotter as the new assistant coach of the Capricorn Eagles, Namibia’s national women’s cricket team.  The announcement came on Wednesday. Lotter is a familiar figure in the Cricket Namibia setup.  For the past five years, he has supported the Capricorn Eagles on various international tours.  His new full-time role strengthens the coaching structure around the national women’s team. Lotter has a diverse sports background.  He represented Namibia at youth levels in hockey, rugby, and cricket.  He played in three ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, the U17 Hockey Youth Olympic Qualifiers, two U18 Craven Week Rugby tournaments, and the U20 Rugby World Trophy.  Later, he played rugby for Western Province and False Bay Rugby Club in South Africa.  He also earned a spot on Namibia’s national rugby team. After his playing career, Lotter moved into coaching.  He spent eight years as head coach of the Windhoek Gymnasium’s first cricket team.  There, he also developed hockey and rugby players.  He led development programs at GCE Cricket Academy.  Most recently, he coached the Wanderers Cricket Club for two seasons. Cricket Namibia said it welcomes Lotter in a full-time capacity.  He will play a key role in improving the Capricorn Eagles’ performance.  He will also support the development pipeline for women’s cricket across Namibia. Cricket Namibia highlighted Lotter’s experience and passion for cricket as important assets.  They said these qualities will help take women’s cricket in Namibia to new levels.

#CapricornEagles #CricketNamibia #WomenInCricket #AssistantCoach #SportsLeadership

Williams appointed Eagles coach  Namibian cricketing great Craig Williams was yesterday appointed as the new head coach of the Eagles following the resignation of Pierre de Bruyn. Williams, who represented the Eagles between 2007 and 2022, is Namibia’s leading all-time run scorer with more than 15 000 runs in all formats of the game. Besides that he took 273 wickets and is one of only four Namibian bowlers to take more than 100 wickets in both first-class and List A cricket.  He was also a top fielder and according to Cricinfo is Namibia’s record holder for catches by an outfielder in first-class and List A matches, and second behind current Eagles captain Gerhard Erasmus in T20 matches.  Since his retirement Williams became involved with Uganda’s coaching set-up as a batting consultant and helped them qualify for their first-ever T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies last year.  At yesterday’s announcement Cricket Namibia CEO Johan Muller said that Williams’ appointment marked an exciting new chapter for Namibian cricket.  “Craig brings not only world-class cricketing expertise but a deep understanding of our players, our culture, and our ambitions. With a newly assembled, highly skilled coaching staff, we are entering a new era—one focused on qualifying for our fourth T20 World Cup and proudly representing Namibia on home soil during the 2027 ICC Men’s World Cup. We are confident that under Craig’s leadership, the Eagles will continue to soar,” he said.  Board member Daneel van der Walt also paid tribute to De Bruyn.  “We would like to sincerely acknowledge the exceptional contribution of our outgoing head coach, Pierre de Bruyn, who has served Cricket Namibia with distinction over the past six and a half years. Since his appointment in 2018, Pierre has played a pivotal role in our rise on the international stage — from achieving ODI status to leading the team to three ICC T20 World Cups and securing historic wins against two full member nations. His impact on the growth and foundation of cricket in Namibia has been truly transformative.” Williams said he was honoured to be appointed as national coach.  “It’s an absolute privilege and honour to be able to coach your own country. I’ve played many years for Namibia under many different coaches, so I’m extremely proud to get this appointment and I look forward to continuing with the legacy that Pierre created for us,” he said.  “In terms of coaching I’m quite young, but it’s been quite exciting so far. I’ve had two good years with Uganda, I’ve been to the World Cup with them and I think that was a stepping stone to be able to learn what it’s like being a coach on the international stage. So I’m looking forward to this new challenge and to coach this current team that is performing quite well,” he added.  Williams said he will not change much from what De Bruyn had set in place.  “We will just continue with the standards that Pierre set. It’s become a culture, it’s become part of our values, and it’s become the way we do things. I played for three years under Pierre, so I learned a lot from him and the way he operates. “We started with training this morning already, and I could see straight away that in terms of the team there’s no real change and things are carrying on. I’m not here to change things, I’m here to bring a different voice, to apply a few things that I believe in, in terms of coaching styles and game tactics,” he said.  Namibia is currently struggling in the World Cricket League Division 2 series, lagging in sixth place on the log on 14 points – eight behind the leaders USA, but Williams said there is still time to turn their fortunes around.  “There are 16 matches left for us, starting with Canada and Scotland coming up in August, so although my role only started today, I’ve already had a few weeks to start putting my mind around what we need to do. Those plans have been put in place, and Pierre already planned for future tours and we’re going to continue with that, but in terms of the 16 matches left our priority is to win every single one of them. “Where we end on the table at the end of the day will be out of our hands, but we are planning to be extremely well-prepared for Canada and Scotland and hopefully the results will go our way,” he said.  The post Williams appointed Eagles coach  appeared first on The Namibian.

#NamibiaCricket #EaglesCoach #CraigWilliams #CricketNamibia #T20WorldCup

Cricket Namibia to Host South Africa U19 Men’s Team in Windhoek Cricket Namibia to Host South Africa U19 Men’s Team in Windhoek Sport Mon, 03/31/2025 - 07:41

#Cricket #CricketNamibia #SouthAfricaU19 #Windhoek #CricketSeries

NAM Vs CAN Today's Dream11 Fantasy Team: Namibia Vs Canada 3rd T20I Match & Pitch Report Get the best NAM vs CAN Today's Dream11 Fantasy Team of 3rd T20I match. Check pitch report, top picks, and player updates.

NAM vs CAN Today’s Dream11 Fantasy Team: 3rd T20I Match & Pitch Report
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🏏 Canada tour of Namibia at Windhoek - 1st T20I abandoned without a ball bowled. 🇨🇲🇳 #CricketNamibia https://fefd.link/VNYay