Namibia announce 16-member squad for T20 World Cup 2024, snub fastest T20I centurion

Namibia announced their 15-man squad for the upcoing T20 World Cup 2024 on May 10, Friday. The much-awaited showpiece tournament will be held across the United States and the Caribbean islands, kicking off on June 2 and concluding on June 29.

This marks Namibia's third consecutive appearance in the T20 World Cup. After a long absence from 2007 to 2016, the African nation successfully qualified for the 2021 edition. They continued their impressive run in 2022, securing a memorable 55-run victory against former champions Sri Lanka, though they ultimately fell short of progressing beyond the group stage. Namibia's path to the 2024 World Cup was dominant. They secured their qualification with an unbeaten run during last year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, held on home soil.

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Jane Nicol Loftie-Eaton's absence raises eyebrows

Namibia has named their 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024, with experienced allrounder Gerhard Erasmus taking the helm as captain. JJ Smit, another allrounder, will serve as his deputy.

Continuity is a key theme for Namibia, with twelve players who impressed in last year's T20 World Cup Qualifier retaining their spots. However, there are also some notable omissions. Jane Nicol Loftie-Eaton, who stunned the cricketing world with the fastest T20I century (33 balls) against Nepal in February, is a surprise exclusion.

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Fresh faces are Dylan Leicher, a seamer, and pacers Ruben Trumpelmann and Jack Brassell. Namibia finds itself in a challenging Group B alongside defending champions England, 2021 winners Australia, Oman, and Scotland.

Their journey begins on June 2nd in Barbados against Oman. They then face Scotland on June 6th before taking on the giants - Australia on June 11th and England on June 15.

Namibia squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2024

Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger, PD Blignaut

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