NewsDelhi – A day after their defeat to the Netherlands, Namibia were back at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, mopping up the hurt and setting sights on Thursday night’s group game against India. Only snag: they were relegated to an afternoon slot, meaning no experience under the floodlights they will bat and bowl beneath tomorrow.
Skipper Gerhard Erasmus admitted the timing felt like an opportunity missed, particularly when Canada and India began their own evening workouts just as Namibia were packing away the kit. Canada, remember, play the UAE here on Friday – they could arguably have waited.
“We haven’t got any lights in Namibia,” Erasmus said, matter-of-fact. “Infrastructure wise, it’s probably the challenge for us. So yeah, it’s not a casual thing. Barring the guys who have played in the Nepal Premier League, ILT20 and the World Cups we have played, you don’t get accustomed to lights and train under it very often.
“Yeah, we haven’t been given night training before this game. I don’t know why. I think India have two night trainings and I see outside that Canada are going to 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.”
The International Cricket Council countered that every side was handed a detailed practice schedule almost a fortnight before the tournament began and that tweaks were made where possible.
“All teams were provided with the training schedules well in advance of the tournament – on 27 and 28 January – and were invited to share any queries or comments,” an ICC spokesperson said. “Requests for changes in timings were accommodated wherever possible, considering available slots, the need to avoid teams playing the next match training together, and any other cricketing considerations.
“Afghanistan, England, Scotland and Ireland all had their sessions amended at various points, and other teams also engaged with the ICC team to clarify certain details and request minor adjustments to their training timings. However, Namibia’s request was received too late for any changes to be made. The request was submitted only on the previous night, by which time the training slots had already been allocated to other teams. Consequently, the request could not be accommodated.”
Behind the scenes, the Namibian camp had believed they were pencilled in for night practice. Head coach Craig Williams, speaking soon after Tuesday’s loss, sounded optimistic.
“All we can do is, we’ve got a night session planned,” Williams said. “I’m just going to be honest with you, for us to play under lights is always going to be difficult because we don’t play that much under lights. I mean we played against India and that was also quite tough for us, so we always prepare as best we can, get the guys in a good mental space … So preparing for India under lights will obviously tick our boxes and try to put the guys in the best position that they can to be able to have a suc”
The truncated sentence, perhaps a slip in the press scrum, still told its story: Namibia were banking on the comfort of a trial run under artificial light.
Why does it matter? White-ball cricket, especially T20, can shift dramatically once the sun goes down. Visibility alters, dew can oil the pitch and quicken the outfield, and bowlers find gripping the ball trickier. Bigger nations work on those nuances weekly; Namibia, with no floodlit ground back home, rarely get the chance.
Former South African batter and television pundit Hashim Amla sympathised. “You don’t fix a skill like catching under lights in an hour,” he said on air. “It’s a rhythm thing, angles, depth perception. If you hardly ever train at night, the first ten minutes of a game can feel alien.”
Erasmus, though, preferred to frame the setback as just another hurdle. His side, super-efficient through African qualifying, still believe they can unsettle India. Runs up top from JP Kotze or a burst from left-armer Jan Frylinck would help. The bowlers also took heart from restricting the Dutch to 156, even if the chase went south.
India, fresh from a dominant win over UAE, have been conscious of not taking Thursday lightly. Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey said the hosts were wary of Namibia’s “fear-free batting” in powerplays. “Associate teams surprise you when you least expect it,” he noted.
For now, Erasmus’ men must trust muscle memory from those few franchise stints abroad and lean on old-fashioned spirit. Namibia have not beaten a Full Member in T20 cricket since upsetting Sri Lanka two World Cups ago; they will walk out tomorrow without that final practice lap under lights, hoping preparation lost does not become match points lost.
If they pull it off, the debate over training slots will fade. If not, questions about fairness and flexibility in scheduling will linger a little longer.
