Follow UsNamibia have been one of the most consistent associate sides of late, qualifying for their fourth T20 World Cup, slated to be played in February-March next year. They made their debut in the tournament in 2021 and have gone on to play the 2022 edition as well as in 2024.
Their biggest moment in the tournament came when they won three games in a row in 2021 to qualify for the main draw. Their biggest win, however, came against former champions Sri Lanka, who they beat by 55 runs in 2022.
Now, they have further upgraded their backroom staff, as they have added World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten as their consultant ahead of T20 World Cup 2026. Kirsten was the head coach when India won the World Cup at home in 2011.
Most recently, the former South Africa batter was in charge of the Pakistan side, a role he stepped down from in October.
"It is indeed a privilege to work with Cricket Namibia. I have been thoroughly impressed with the dedication and determination to create a high-performance cricket environment," Kirsten said in a Cricket Namibia statement.
"Their new state-of-the-art cricket stadium is a testament to their commitment to making sure their national teams are competing with the best cricket countries in the world. Their senior men's national team is performing well, and I look forward to adding value to their preparation for the T20 World Cup in February next year."
Kirsten will work with head coach Craig Williams, a former Namibia batter, and get the team up and running for the mega event. Namibia have won just five (including a super over win over Oman) of their 15 matches in the T20 World Cup and will hope to add to their tally next year.
Namibia will be in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, USA and Netherlands. They begin their campaign against Netherlands in Delhi on February 10.