New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Namibia’s left-arm pace spearhead Ruben Trumpelmann feels the bowlers will be the difference-makers in the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup as his side prepare to open their Group A campaign against the Netherlands at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
Trumpelmann has been in red-hot form since the 2024 tournament, claiming 17 wickets in 12 innings at a strike rate of 13.9. With his height and capability to extract seam movement, Trumpelmann holds the key for Namibia with the new ball, though he’s also a lethal death overs bowler.
“The warm-up game against Scotland in Bengaluru was a bit of a run-fest. As a bowler, you need to have some hair on your teeth, to be honest. Your skills need to be in place. When I was over in Nepal, the conditions were a bit different. It was more spin-friendly. But I don’t think we’re expecting much turn or seam in these Indian conditions for the World Cup.
“For us, as a bowler unit, we need to be sharp in our skill sets. Our plans will be to stay simple and we’ll need to execute from there. Staying one step ahead of the batter is going to be the key. In this tournament, the bowlers will get you further in the tournament, as well as make you win the tournament.
“So whoever’s going to win this tournament will have to get the best bowling attack, in my opinion. The batters will have license to go out and express themselves and there’s a few talented players. So, the bowlers will need to be ready to just execute their skills,” Trumpelmann told IANS in an exclusive conversation.
Following the clash against the Netherlands, Namibia will also be taking on co-hosts and defending champions India on Thursday. With India coming after seeing off a scare from the USA, Trumpelmann describes the prospect of facing the Suryakumar Yadav-led side in their backyard as both daunting and exhilarating.
“Obviously playing against India is always special. They’re really a good side and it’s the best way to test your skills as a player. But playing a World Cup within India is so phenomenal. Getting to experience having around 75,000 fans and just to get that vibe all around you.
“We as a team are relishing an opportunity to put our best foot forward and be a competitive side on the field and who knows? Cricket’s a funny game. Anything can happen. As a boy growing up, you always dream about playing a World Cup and a World Cup in India will just be the pinnacle of that experience.
“We’re trying to prepare ourselves as best as possible for what to expect. Obviously, it’s a bit unknown in terms of the sheer number of people around us. But at the end of the day, our mindset will be simple: just to keep our head focused on what our job is and the rest we can’t control. So if we put our best foot forward, anything can happen,” he elaborated.
Shortly after qualifying for this mega, Namibia had a breakthrough moment when they defeated neighbours South Africa by four wickets in their first game at the new stadium in Windhoek in October last year.
“That Proteas win is a special one, especially with us playing our first official game in the stadium. Getting a Test nation like South Africa there was really special; the sold-out stadium, about 4,000 or 5,000 people there, jam-packed onto the grass embankments.
“I can only speak out of personal experience and obviously a very emotional game for us and something we all will remember forever,” added Trumpelmann, who played in South Africa’s domestic system, before making the switch to Namibia, the country where his father was born.
Once the T20 World Cup qualification was secured, Namibia played some ODI World Cup League two games. While others had a bit of off time, Trumpelmann went to play in Nepal Premier League (NPL) and had a few weeks off in December. After a camp in Cape Town, Namibia went to Dubai to play two games against Afghanistan and one against Italy.
Namibia are appearing at their fourth consecutive T20 World Cup, a remarkable achievement for the side who are yet to progress beyond the first round. But Trumpelmann feels the side have everything in them to make a case for entering the Super Eights, especially with Associate nations giving bigger teams a run for their money in the early days of the competition.
“The one time we got into the Super 12, the format was a bit different. But I do think we’re a good T20 side. The camp and team are very confident and we’ll have a big impact. For us, the key part will be to stick to our basics and make it and be better than the rest of the guys in that department.
“We’re excited for this World Cup. We’re definitely expecting an upset and that’s how we’ve been prepping for the past few months. We recently also beat Afghanistan comfortably in one of the warm-up matches. For us, we’ve got everything, and we just need to put everything together and just play a full game for us to make progress to the Super 8,” he said.
Namibia have bolstered their coaching staff with the addition of Gary Kirsten, who coached India to 2011 ODI World Cup triumph on home soil, as a consultant. Kirsten bringing invaluable knowledge of subcontinental conditions has been of immense help to the side, who have never played international cricket in India and Sri Lanka.
“Gary obviously has a world of experience, especially in India, having coached on the national side and he’s such a cool person to be around. Just the way he goes around doing his thing. It’s not a fluff around. It’s just what you see is what you get and he’s easy to tap into and he loves giving back.
“For us, and the squad, we just love spending time with him, just getting to pick his brain and his thinking processes. The nice thing is, with the coaching staff, we have almost used the same language over and over again. For us, that’s a big positive.
“It means we’re all moving in the right direction. For someone like Gary, just to add that extra bit of information to our squad in terms of Indian conditions, Indian players, what to expect, what not to expect – just unbelievable for us,” added Trumpelmann.
Under new coach Craig Williams, who replaced Pierre de Bruyn, Namibia have undergone a cultural shift that Trumpelmann believes has unlocked the squad’s potential. “We had a lot of success under Pierre. He’s a very good coach and it was a good time under him. But for us, it was a refreshing restart with Craig, a player who was around in Namibia and knows the players. He’s been our friend for a long time and now he’s got a different type of role.”
“It just gave a lot of players a safe place to be themselves and to really just go out and express themselves. For us, he’s been a real change within the camp. The thing is, if you only have a little bit of players, your squad will stay more or less the same. So there needs to be a fresh face every now and then just to reiterate a few concepts you might have lost along the way.”
“We’re really enjoying playing under Craig and the way he’s set up his team around him with the likes of Justin Kemp and getting Gary involved, as well as Evert Laubscher and Sean Novak. We’ve got a really fantastic backroom staff that have a love for the sport of cricket as well as Namibia. We’re really excited and it’s going to be super exciting,” he said.
The core of Namibia’s squad has remained together since 2021, thus creating a tight-knit unit. “A large part of the success is due to the fact that we’re so close as a team. The majority of our team has been together for four World Cup campaigns we’ve had since 2021.
“The camaraderie, the time we spend and everyday life we do together – like training, and going on a ride, that makes us special. At the end of the day, we go out there not just as teammates, but as friends. That’s something which pulls us together with a small nation supporting us, and makes us feel the world is at our feet,” added Trumpelmann.
He also offers value with the bat, typically coming in during the final overs as a power-hitter. With usually no more than 10-20 deliveries to face, Trumpelmann understands the importance of making an immediate impact with the bat to add handy runs.
“I do back myself a bit more as a finisher in those last four or five overs. It’s something that I really enjoy doing. I do have a lot of power and I’ve got an important role to play within the side to finish off those last four overs.”
“It’s just looking just to get more success out of the small little parts we do have. It’s similar to bowling in a way – a tough job every now and then. But I love that job and I’m not going to complain.”
Trumpelmann has taken 13 wickets in T20 World Cups so far – second only to all-rounder David Wiese’s 14. If his words are to go by, then expect him and the rest of the bowling line-up to do the heavy lifting in this World Cup.
“For us, it’s just, there’s a lot of conversations on how to get it right in these types of conditions. It is going to be tough. As a young player, or fast bowler, you’ll need to keep your cool if you’ve gone to the boundary a few times.
“You might still bowl the best ball possible, but the chance you’re getting hit is also there. If we can just keep our heads calm and cool and progress as a team, there’s a lot of success for us in that department,” he concluded.
–IANS
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