Erasmus leads Namibia for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026

All-rounder Gerhard Erasmus will lead Namibia's quest for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. This will be the fourth consecutive appearance for the African nation in the tournament.

Squad:

Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Malan Kruger, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, JC Balt, Dylan Leicher, WP Myburgh, Max Heingo. Travelling reserve: Alexander Volschenk.

Namibia sealed their place at the tournament after a commanding run at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Africa Qualifier in Harare, finishing as unbeaten Group A toppers and backing it up with a dominant semi-final victory over Tanzania.

A composed recovery with the bat, led by half-centuries from JJ Smit and captain Gerhard Erasmus, powered Namibia to 174 for six before their bowlers took control, with Smit and Ben Shikongo sharing six wickets to limit Tanzania to 111 for eight. The emphatic 63-run win underlined Namibia’s growing consistency at the global stage as they booked their spot at the 2026 tournament in India and Sri Lanka.

Their route to qualification offered encouraging signs, particularly through Loftie-Eaton, who was named Bowler of the Tournament at the Africa Qualifier after claiming 10 wickets at an average of 6.40 and an economy rate of 4.92. In the final, Steenkamp’s brisk 40 off 27 balls, alongside a steadying partnership with captain Gerhard Erasmus (38 off 32), highlighted Namibia’s growing balance as they build towards the marquee tournament.

At their most recent T20 World Cup appearance, Namibia managed just one victory, edging past Oman in a Super Over, and will be keen to convert lessons from that campaign into stronger returns this time around.

Continuity remains a key theme in the squad, with nine players retained from the 2024 edition, providing a familiar core, while Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Louren Steenkamp, JC Balt, WP Myburgh and Max Heingo add fresh depth and options as Namibia look to best their tournament record of reaching the Super 12's in 2021.

Namibia are placed in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, Netherlands and USA.

Namibia's group fixtures:

February 10: vs Netherlands, Delhi (11 AM IST)
February 12: vs India, Delhi (7 PM IST)
February 15: vs USA, Chennai (3 PM IST)
February 18: vs Pakistan, Colombo (3 PM IST)