Cricket Namibia upbeat about the future of the sport
Cricket
Cricket Namibia is driving efforts to ensure the game is played and enjoyed throughout Namibia
Namibia’s cricket programs are experiencing consistent growth, with the game making steady strides in communities.
“Our Ashburton Mini Cricket Program now has over 150,000 primary school kids playing the game. This year, we had more than 45,000 young cricketers participating in regular matches,” said Johan Muller, CEO of Cricket Namibia.
Launched in 2009, the program embraces the notion of playing in open environments and encourages respect, leadership, and resilience through the game of cricket.
Muller highlighted that Cricket Namibia now has a presence in all 14 regions of the country, even in small communities. “This is something we always wanted to achieve. While the transition from softball to hardball has grown tremendously, the number of kids playing hardball cricket at various schools, tournaments, and youth festivals has also seen consistent growth, resulting in an increase in the number of teams over the years. The Sixers concept we introduced has grown massively, more than doubling the number of teams we had three years ago.”
Financially stable
Speaking about cricket in general, Muller said that Cricket Namibia is in a healthy financial space.
“We have scaled up significantly and secured financial stability for the next three years. We now have the opportunity to keep building our vision, create more programs, and perform on the global stage. We also aim to bring more high-level international matches to the country,” he said.
According to Muller, the national men’s team has performed exceptionally well over the past five years. “We had a tough year last year and at the beginning of this year. Unfortunately, we were on the losing side of a few close games. Competing at the international level against the world’s best players consistently tests us and keeps us measuring ourselves against the best.”
Muller noted that the margins for error are small at this level, and players need to be equipped with top-level skills and knowledge. “We recently hosted a bowling camp with Vernon Philander, a renowned bowler from South Africa. It’s fantastic to have access to that kind of expertise and share it with our players.”
He announced that the national men's team, with an extended group, will travel to Karnataka, India, next February to train with legendary coaches. “These are people who have played and coached the game at exceptionally high levels. We believe this will give us the edge to win those 50-50 or close games.”
Muller added that the national women's team is now ranked 17th in the world. “It looks like they will qualify on 1 May 2025 for a new Super League that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is introducing, which could lead to One Day International (ODI) status. We also started a Women's Social League, giving many women who have never played the game a chance to enjoy cricket in a fun, social setting.”
“Our Ashburton Mini Cricket Program now has over 150,000 primary school kids playing the game. This year, we had more than 45,000 young cricketers participating in regular matches,” said Johan Muller, CEO of Cricket Namibia.
Launched in 2009, the program embraces the notion of playing in open environments and encourages respect, leadership, and resilience through the game of cricket.
Muller highlighted that Cricket Namibia now has a presence in all 14 regions of the country, even in small communities. “This is something we always wanted to achieve. While the transition from softball to hardball has grown tremendously, the number of kids playing hardball cricket at various schools, tournaments, and youth festivals has also seen consistent growth, resulting in an increase in the number of teams over the years. The Sixers concept we introduced has grown massively, more than doubling the number of teams we had three years ago.”
Financially stable
Speaking about cricket in general, Muller said that Cricket Namibia is in a healthy financial space.
“We have scaled up significantly and secured financial stability for the next three years. We now have the opportunity to keep building our vision, create more programs, and perform on the global stage. We also aim to bring more high-level international matches to the country,” he said.
According to Muller, the national men’s team has performed exceptionally well over the past five years. “We had a tough year last year and at the beginning of this year. Unfortunately, we were on the losing side of a few close games. Competing at the international level against the world’s best players consistently tests us and keeps us measuring ourselves against the best.”
Muller noted that the margins for error are small at this level, and players need to be equipped with top-level skills and knowledge. “We recently hosted a bowling camp with Vernon Philander, a renowned bowler from South Africa. It’s fantastic to have access to that kind of expertise and share it with our players.”
He announced that the national men's team, with an extended group, will travel to Karnataka, India, next February to train with legendary coaches. “These are people who have played and coached the game at exceptionally high levels. We believe this will give us the edge to win those 50-50 or close games.”
Muller added that the national women's team is now ranked 17th in the world. “It looks like they will qualify on 1 May 2025 for a new Super League that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is introducing, which could lead to One Day International (ODI) status. We also started a Women's Social League, giving many women who have never played the game a chance to enjoy cricket in a fun, social setting.”
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