Cricket Namibia (CN), in collaboration with Cricket South Africa (CSA) will host an exciting white-ball tour featuring the CSA Emerging Women’s Academy squad.
The tour will take place in Windhoek from 2 to 12 July, comprising four T20 matches and three 50-over fixtures, all hosted at the High-Performance Oval in Windhoek.
Namibia’s national women’s team, the Capricorn Eagles, are eager to make the most of the tour. The series forms a critical part of their preparation for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa qualifier, which will be hosted in Windhoek at the end of August.
The qualifier will see Namibia compete against seven other African nations, all battling for two spots at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global qualifier. The CSA Emerging Academy tour provides the Capricorn Eagles with essential competitive match time and an opportunity to fine-tune their strategies across both T20 and 50-over formats.
In a statement, CN said this tour marks another significant chapter in the development pathway for South Africa’s up-and-coming cricketers as the CSA Emerging Women’s Academy continues to serve as an important platform for bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket, nurturing the next generation of Proteas Women.
“Under the leadership of Women’s Emerging Academy head coach Dinesha Devnarain, the squad will benefit from high-intensity match experience against competitive international opposition.
Speaking on the tour, Devnarain commented: “This tour is a vital opportunity for our young players to test themselves in a different environment and against strong opposition. “We’ve worked hard in our preparation, and we’re excited to see how the players step up and translate their training into performance. It’s more than just about results, it’s about building confidence, match awareness and a winning culture.”
CSA head of high performance, Grant van Velden, said: “The Namibia tour reflects our commitment to holistic player development. These tours are crucial in providing our emerging players with consistent international exposure, which is essential for their transition to the senior level. “We’re grateful to Cricket Namibia for their collaboration and look forward to competitive, high-quality cricket.”
Namibia’s head coach, Francois van der Merwe, added that the Capricorn Eagles are very excited to test their skill development in all departments of the game against a very strong South Africa Emerging Academy team.
“The aim of the series is to gain important game time for the Capricorn Eagles ahead of the upcoming qualifiers, which CN will host at their new world-class facility. I would like to see consistency in our execution with both bat and ball during the SA Emerging Academy
series.” The Namibian squad consists of: Sune Wittman, Kayleen Green, Edelle van Zyl, Yasmeen Khan, Mekelaye Mwatile, Wilka Mwatile, Mezerly Gorases, Arrasta Diergaardt, Sylvia Shihepo, Victoria Hamunyela, Eveleen Kejarukua, Naomi Benjamin, Saima Tuhadeleni, Bianca Manuel and Leigh-Marie Visser.