Colombo, Feb 18 (IANS) Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus expressed pride in his team’s early bowling effort while acknowledging key areas for improvement following their defeat to Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Group A clash at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Wednesday.
Reflecting on Namibia’s strong start with the ball, the skipper praised the intent and energy shown by his young bowling unit. “It was quite pleasing to see a young guy like Jack Brassell running in there, supported by Smit and that Trumpelmann really giving some energy to that first impact we tried to put on the game,” Erasmus said during the post-match presentation.
Despite the encouraging opening burst, the Namibia skipper admitted his side could not capitalise fully during key moments, as he said, “Unfortunately, we couldn't get the breakthrough. Two or three times, we really put pressure on them in that middle period and slow it up.”
Pakistan’s experienced spin attack proved to be a decisive factor in controlling Namibia’s chase, and Erasmus acknowledged the quality and rarity of such skill at the highest level. “It's a special skill to have, to turn the ball both ways as they do,” he said, emphasising the technical challenge posed by Pakistan’s spinners.
He added that adapting to such high-quality spin bowling would be an important focus area for Namibia moving forward. “I think that's one of the things we'll definitely take home and look to improve on, is facing that type of bowling and making good plans around it and getting that skill level up in order to combat that.”
Looking at the broader picture, Erasmus highlighted the importance of strengthening key roles within the team, particularly at the top of the order. “I think for us, it's always about nailing those specialist positions,” he said, reflecting on Namibia’s campaign across multiple World Cup editions.
He pointed to the openers’ performances as a major positive takeaway from the tournament, stating, “I think for these four editions of the World Cup, it's largely been like the top and bottom kind of thing. So openers with the bat this tournament is definitely a great takeaway, how they've batted in this tournament.”
With Namibia continuing to grow as a competitive force in international cricket, Erasmus also spoke optimistically about the future and upcoming opportunities, including the next 50-over World Cup cycle in Africa.
“Yeah, lots of cricket around and lots of really exciting things happening in and around cricket in Namibia, which gives the boys a lot of pleasing things to play for,” he said, underlining the positive momentum surrounding the team.
He concluded by emphasising the long-term significance of these developments. “And for the future of cricket in the country, it's definitely a lot to play for.”
--IANS
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