Namibia blend youth and experience for home T20 tri-series

Gerhard Erasmus will captain a Namibia squad combining experienced internationals with emerging players for a home T20 tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe. The competition will include a final for the two highest-placed teams.

Erasmus is joined by established players Jan Frylinck, JJ Smit, Jan-Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Ruben Trumpelmann and Bernard Scholtz. Michael van Lingen is also included after coming back to international cricket last month, following his retirement in 2024.

Van Lingen has not played a T20 international since the 2024 World Cup. The left-hander could open the innings with Junior Taanyanda, who is 21 and was Namibia’s leading run-scorer in the tri-series held in June.

Teenage fast bowlers Max Heingo and Waldo Smith are part of the group, while JC Balt enters the tournament after finishing as Namibia’s leading wicket-taker in their most recent T20I series. Allrounder Alex Busing-Volschenk is another young player in contention.

Namibia have won five of their last seven T20Is since the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. The home tournament forms part of their preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup and their longer-term effort to reach the 2028 T20 World Cup.

Justin Kemp, who became Namibia’s Director of Cricket in June, will support head coach Craig Williams. South Africa’s squad features Dewald Brevis, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Kwena Maphaka, while Zimbabwe have not yet named their players.

The tri-series is also viewed as an early stage in plans for an Africa Cup in 2027. South Africa will stay in Namibia afterwards for three one-day internationals on September 9, 11 and 13, which will be Namibia’s first home bilateral ODI series against their neighbours. Namibia’s squad is Erasmus, van Lingen, Zane Green, Scholtz, Trumpelmann, Smit, Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Malan Kruger, Jack Brassell, Heingo, Busing-Volschenk, Taanyanda, Loftie-Eaton, Balt and Smith.