T20 World Cup | Jonathan Trott’s press conference after the loss against South Africa
Namibia qualified for their first T20 World Cup in 2021 after finishing fourth in the 2019 qualifiers and have since been among the most consistent affiliated teams to qualify for the tournament four times in a row.Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, the all-rounder who picked up the wicket and scored a decisive 42 against the Netherlands, expressed confidence in his team’s ability. “We’re not just here to fill the tournament. Anything can happen and we just have to believe we can beat the bigger nations and compete with them,” Loftie-Eaton said.Namibia produced performances to support these claims. In their first appearance of 2021, they progressed from the first round to the Super 12 stage and recorded their first ever victory against a full member nation when they defeated Ireland.In the next edition in 2022, they defeated Sri Lanka in the first round but failed to progress further.Recently, the Eagles defeated South Africa by four wickets in a one-off T20 international in October 2025.Loftie-Eaton was part of all these moments and contributed significantly to the rise of Namibian cricket. He believes the gap between the top-ranked teams and the associated countries is narrowing.“We’re smaller nations compared to the bigger nations, so I think the gaps are closing in the last few years. We’re getting more attention against the top teams. Every other year you play in the World Cup and you’re going up against the best in the world. Cricket Namibia has done an amazing job in giving us opportunities to play in South Africa. So the gap is finally closing, especially in Zimbabwe and the 5 T2s are still closing. format but progress is evident,” said Loftie-Eaton.
Playing the long game
Unlike many associate nations, the Namibian Cricket Board offers its players central contracts, while cricketers in several other associate nations have to take up jobs outside of cricket to earn a living.These contracts allow Namibian players to focus solely on the game. “We have about 25 players under contract at a high performance level. Most of us play full-time cricket and that gives us the chance to perform professionally, which is ultimately where we want to be,” Loftie-Eaton said.Namibia also stands out for its emphasis on homegrown talent. While some players were born in South Africa, the majority are of Namibian descent. Loftie-Eaton’s father played under-19 cricket for Namibia and he himself started playing at the age of five.“The capital is probably the main hub and then we’ve got some of the coastal boys from Walvis Bay coming in. There’s been some good work done over the last couple of years. The likes of Ben Shikongo and Max Heingo have come through and it’s exciting to see talent emerging from different parts of the country,” Loftie-Eaton said.
The year that changed fate
Namibia’s recent rise can be traced back to changes made at the end of 2018 following a disappointing World Cricket League 2 campaign where they finished fourth and missed out on qualification for the 2019 ODI World Cup.Although Namibia appeared in the 2003 World Cup, they had to wait 16 years before regaining ODI status. The intervening years included mixed results in the Intercontinental Cups and World Cricket Leagues, although they won the Intercontinental Shield in 2009–10 and finished runners-up in WCL Division 2 in 2015.The appointment of ex-Leicestershire coach Pierre de Bruyne, with ex-South Africa international Albie Morkel as assistant, proved pivotal. Namibia regrouped to win the 2019 World Cricket League 2 and gain ODI status. Full-time contracts followed, along with a renewed focus on local development.In the same year, Namibia also qualified for the 2021 T20 World Cup and has been on a steady rise ever since. They reached the Super 12 stage in 2021 and gained automatic qualification for the 2022 edition, although they failed to repeat the feat in Australia.In February 2024, No.5 batsman Loftie-Eaton hit the then-fastest T20I century off 33 balls against Nepal.Namibia only inaugurated its first international ground in 2025, beating South Africa by four wickets in a fairytale moment in the first international match between the neighbours.Afghanistan’s rise has been one of cricket’s biggest stories, aided by Pakistan’s proximity. Namibia also benefited from being close to an established Test country such as South Africa.“Many of our players were born in Namibia, studied in South Africa and then came back. South Africa is a big part of our journey and we have a strong relationship with them,” the Namibia head coach told TimesofIndia.com.Namibia is well positioned in terms of infrastructure and administrative support and has taken several steps in the right direction. If they continue on this path, players like Loftie-Eaton and Gerhard Erasmus could yet take Namibian cricket to greater heights.