Maqonda Ndlovu
NAMIBIA’S U/19 cricket team has expressed high confidence ahead of their first match at the 2024 Cricket World Cup in Kimberely.
The tournament kicked off on Friday, with the Eagles scheduled to face Australia today, Sri Lanka on Wednesday, and Zimbabwe on Saturday.
Coach Oscar Nauhaus said the team is in a good space as preparations have been going well. “The boys are coming together nicely as they have been spending time together. As you become closer, you learn more about each other, and that has been at the real heart of our success. This is a special tournament and time for everyone,” Nauhaus said.
He urged the players to enjoy the experience and create lasting memories they can share later in life.
Nauhaus said while the first two official warm up games were rained out, they had done enough work on their game.
“It’s not an ideal situation, but you can’t control that, and these are lessons we have to take. We have shown a lot of good signs and improvements, and we will use those as yardstick for our progress,” he said.
The coach added that whatever has happened doesn’t give the team any option but to be ready for the tournament, and the boys are expected to showcase their talents with a bit of luck as well.
Team captain Alexander Volschenk said morale is high, with a mixture of excitement and nervousness to go with it.
“The nervousness is good, as we are all having butterflies in our stomachs, and we can’t wait to play our first game against Australia,” he said.
He added that the weather is similar to that in Namibia; hence, their adaptation was not difficult.
Volschenk called on Namibians to support the team in their quest to do well at the tournament.
Speaking at the team’s send-off a few weeks ago, Cricket Namibia (CN) President Rudie van Vuuren said after the senior men’s team failed to qualify for the Super Sixes at the 2022 T20 World Cup, they (CN) vowed that it (failure to qualify) would never happen again.
He said that defeat had forced them to set some new targets, including the appointment of Nauhaus as the U/19 coach.
The U/19 World Cup takes place from 19 January to 11 February. –jrnmarko@gmail.com