Namibia captain sparks debate with 'Night Training' allegation ahead of T20 World Cup clash against India

Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus voiced his frustration on February 11 regarding the tournament's scheduling, specifically highlighting a perceived disadvantage in their preparation. He noted that despite their upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 clash against India being a night match, the organisers did not grant Namibia any opportunities to train under floodlights.

The discrepancy in preparation was further emphasized by the different schedules of the two teams. Namibia’s previous fixture against the Netherlands was a daytime game, and all their practice sessions since have been held during the day. Meanwhile, the Indian squad benefited from two separate night-time training sessions, allowing them to acclimate to the specific lighting and atmospheric conditions they will face during the match.

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Don't know why we haven’t been given a night training session: Namibia captain

For Namibia, this lack of night-time practice is particularly impactful due to the limited infrastructure for day-night cricket in their home country. Erasmus stressed that because his players have fewer opportunities to play under lights back home, these practice sessions were crucial for adjusting to the ball's visibility and the evening dew. Entering a high-stakes game against India without that experience adds a significant hurdle to their campaign.

“Yeah, we haven’t been given a night training (session) before this game, I don’t know why. I think India has two night training (sessions) and I see outside that Canada will have a night training now, so make of that what you want, but we’ll just rock up and do our Namibian way, which is to fight," Erasmus said at the pre-match press conference.

Namibia gear up for India clash

During their practice session at the Feroz Shah Kotla, the Canadian squad was observed training alongside the Indian team. This joint session occurred as Canada prepared for their upcoming afternoon fixture against the UAE, scheduled for Friday.

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The arrangement did not go unnoticed by Gerhard Erasmus, who pointed out the contrast in scheduling. His observation highlighted the fact that while other teams were able to coordinate their preparations at the main venue alongside major nations, Namibia felt sidelined by the lack of similar opportunities under the specific conditions they would face.

“We haven’t got any (flood)lights in Namibia… the day/night games. Infrastructure wise it’s probably the challenge for us, so yeah it’s not a casual thing for guys that don’t have (experience)…I think barring the guys who played in the Nepal Premier League and the ILT20 and the World Cups that we’ve played, you don’t really get accustomed to lights and training under it very often," Erasmus added.

Namibia began their T20 World Cup campaign on a disappointing note, suffering a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of the Netherlands on Tuesday. After being restricted to 156/8 despite a solid 42 from Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, they were unable to contain Bas de Leede, whose unbeaten 72 steered the Dutch to a comfortable victory with two overs to spare.