Namibia cricket sets lofty goals with homegrown talent: No World Cup for 18 years to now four in a row | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: “We’re not just here to fill the tournament,” a resolute Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, the Namibian all-rounder, told TimesofIndia.com on the eve of their first 2026 T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Namibia lost their opening match by seven wickets to the Netherlands, but the Gerhard Erasmus-led side, who have qualified for their fourth straight T20 World Cup, showed signs of promise.While Namibia, whose captain believes there are no minnows in T20 cricket, are unlikely to pose a serious threat to a formidable Indian side, the Eagles would certainly want to prove that they are not to be taken lightly when they face the defending champions on Thursday in the national capital.
Namibia qualified for their first T20 World Cup in 2021 after finishing fourth in the 2019 qualifiers, and they have been among the most consistent Associate teams since, qualifying for the tournament four times in a row.Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, the all-rounder who picked up a wicket and scored a crucial 42 against the Netherlands, expressed confidence in his team’s abilities. “We’re not just here to fill the tournament. Anything can happen, and we just have to believe that we can beat the bigger nations and compete with them,” Loftie-Eaton said.Namibia have produced performances to back those claims. In their maiden appearance in 2021, they progressed from the first round to the Super 12 stage and registered their first-ever win against a Full Member nation by defeating Ireland.In the next edition in 2022, they defeated Sri Lanka in the first round but were unable to progress further.More recently, the Eagles beat South Africa by four wickets in a one-off T20 international in October 2025.Loftie-Eaton has been part of all these moments and has contributed significantly to the rise of Namibian cricket. He believes the gap between top-ranked teams and Associate nations is narrowing.“We are smaller nations compared to the bigger nations, so I think the gaps have been closing over the last few years. We’ve been getting more exposure against top teams. Every second year you play in a World Cup and get to rub shoulders with the best in the world. Cricket Namibia has done an amazing job in giving us opportunities to play Zimbabwe and South Africa. So the gap is ultimately closing, especially in T20 cricket. There is still a long way to go in the 50-over format, but progress is evident,” Loftie-Eaton said.Playing the long gameUnlike many Associate nations, the Namibian cricket board offers central contracts to its players, while cricketers in several other Associate countries have to take up jobs outside cricket to make a living.These contracts allow Namibian players to focus entirely on the game. “We have around 25 players contracted at the high-performance level. Most of us play cricket full time, and that gives us a chance to operate professionally, which is ultimately where we want to be,” Loftie-Eaton said.Namibia also stand out for their emphasis on homegrown talent. While some players were born in South Africa, most are of Namibian origin. Loftie-Eaton’s father played Under-19 cricket for Namibia, and he himself began playing at the age of five.“The capital city is probably the main hub, and then we’ve got a few coastal boys coming in from Walvis Bay. There’s been good work done there over the past few years. Players like Ben Shikongo and Max Heingo have come through, and it’s exciting to see talent emerging from different parts of the country,” Loftie-Eaton said.The year that changed destinyNamibia’s recent rise can be traced back to changes made in late 2018 following a disappointing World Cricket League 2 campaign, where they finished fourth and missed out on qualification for the 2019 ODI World Cup.Although Namibia had featured in the 2003 World Cup, they had to wait 16 years to regain ODI status. The intervening years included mixed results in Intercontinental Cups and World Cricket Leagues, though they won the Intercontinental Shield in 2009–10 and finished second in WCL Division 2 in 2015.The appointment of former Leicestershire coach Pierre de Bruyn, with former South African international Albie Morkel as assistant, proved pivotal. Namibia regrouped to win World Cricket League 2 in 2019, earning ODI status. Full-time contracts followed, along with a renewed focus on grassroots development.That same year, Namibia also qualified for the 2021 T20 World Cup and have grown steadily since. They reached the Super 12 stage in 2021, earning automatic qualification for the 2022 edition, though they could not replicate the feat in Australia.In February 2024, No. 5 batter Loftie-Eaton struck what was then the fastest T20I century, off 33 balls, against Nepal.Namibia inaugurated their first international ground only in 2025, and in a fairytale moment, defeated South Africa by four wickets in the first international match between the neighbours.The rise of Afghanistan has been one of cricket’s great stories, aided by proximity to Pakistan. Namibia too have benefited from being close to an established Test nation like South Africa.“A lot of our players were born in Namibia, schooled in South Africa, and then returned. South Africa is very much part of our pathway, and we have a strong relationship with them,” Namibia’s head coach told TimesofIndia.com.Namibia are well placed in terms of infrastructure and administrative support and have taken several steps in the right direction. If they continue on this path, players like Loftie-Eaton and Gerhard Erasmus could yet take Namibian cricket to greater heights.
