Namibia will host the matches of the upcoming edition of the ODI World Cup games in 2027, ahead of the mega event Cricket Namibia president Rudie van Vuuren credited ICC chairman Jay Shah for constructing a brand new stadium in Namibia.
Rudie van Vuuren for Jay Shah
Van Vuuren lavished praise on Jay Shah for his efforts in empowering associate nations and improving their cricket infrastructure.
"The ICC has adopted a policy of empowering associate members. Jay Shah has really brought significant change there. He was in Windhoek visiting our new stadium, and how the ICC has helped us develop that facility," Van Vuuren said.
ICC's contribution for Namibia cricket
In fact, with the 2027 World Cup in mind, the ICC has also developed high-performance facilities, which will help Namibia grow as a cricketing nation.
"Now, all of a sudden, we have those high-performance facilities. Africa has nations like Namibia coming through because of the ICC’s backing, so that gap will become smaller and smaller.
"We must make use of these opportunities to showcase our talent and show the world that associate members are the future of cricket," Van Vuuren.
Australia will enter as defending champions
Notably, Australia will enter that tournament as defending champions, the side defeated India in the ODI World Cup 2023 on their home soil at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to clinch their sixth ODI World Cup title.