New Delhi, March 23 (IANS) Regular skipper Gerhard Erasmus is set to pass on the leadership duties of Namibia, with all-rounder JJ Smit appointed captain of the side for next month’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series, which will be hosted in Windhoek and feature Oman and Scotland.
The tri-series will see the three participating teams compete across six matches starting April 2, forming part of the ongoing League 2 cycle. At present, Namibia occupy sixth position on the League 2 table and will be eager to capitalise on home conditions to improve their standing and remain within reach of the top four teams in the competition.
At the conclusion of this phase, the top four teams in the standings will secure qualification for the main pathway tournament leading into the next ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Smit will lead a 15-member squad for the Windhoek leg, which includes fresh faces William Lottering and Zacheo Jansen van Vuuren. The squad also retains a strong core of players from Namibia’s recent campaign at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Namibia’s performance in that tournament was underwhelming, as they were eliminated in the group stage after suffering defeats in all four Group A matches. Under Erasmus’ captaincy, the side finished at the bottom of the standings without registering a single point.
Their tournament began with a loss to the Netherlands, who chased down Namibia’s total of 156/8 to win by seven wickets. This was followed by a comprehensive 93-run defeat against India, where Namibia were bowled out for 116 in pursuit of 210.
A subsequent 31-run loss to the United States further hampered their progress, before their campaign concluded with a heavy 102-run defeat to Pakistan, in which they were dismissed for just 97.
Namibia are scheduled to kick off their tri-series campaign with a match against Oman on April 4, as they look to produce improved performances and regain momentum.
Namibia squad: JJ Smit (c), Gerhard Erasmus, Max Heingo, Bernard Scholtz, Jan Frylinck, Dylan Leicher, William Lottering, Zacheo Jansen van Vuuren, Malan Kruger, Ben Shikongo, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Zane Green, WP Myburgh, Louren Steenkamp
–IANS
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