All Set For The FNB T20 Cricket Tri-Nations – Series  

As Namibia prepares to host the first match of the FNB T20 Tri-Nations-Series against its South African neighbours the Proteas, in Windhoek on 28 August, the three team captains held a joint press conference, at the cricket Namibia stadium in Windhoek. 

The tournament will take place until the 6th of September. 

The tournament is a joint initiative by Cricket South Africa, Zimbabwe Cricket and Cricket Namibia, to strengthen African cricket, through more competitive international opportunities. 

FNB Namibia Eagles captain, Gerhard Erasmus, said the tournament presents a significant step for the team, comparable to the pressure of a World Cup.  

“Making this leap almost feels like a World Cup that we have to make every second-year, when we go play at the World Cup and it is quite a large leap. I think the players sometimes tend to play with extra anxiety, which is never the type of thing that works in cricket. 

“You cannot maybe like rugby shake them and make their mouths froth and they play better,” he said. 

Zimbabwe T20 captain, Sikandar Raza, welcomed the opportunity, saying regular international fixtures at Namibia’s world-class facility could accelerate the development of players and narrow the gap between emerging and established cricket nations. 

“So now that Namibia has got this world class facility, they should have more fixtures going forward, which would help them in their own personal growth as well as cricketers. 

“The bridge between the players have been reduced because of the franchise cricket, but I still believe that international cricket plays a huge role and if Namibia and Zimbabwe can get those fixtures then our growth could match the growth of other top nations as well. 

“So well done to Namibia Cricket for getting this facility and it looks amazing,” he said. 

South Africa T20 captain, Bjorn Fortuin, said leading the side is a major honour and expressed confidence in the group’s preparation and experience. 

“I have been privileged to play with a large amount of guys in the group over the last 18 months. We have been playing quite a bit of A-side cricket together, so it is a nice group to be a part of,” he said. 

Friday’s match will be the first in a series of seven matches in the T20 series, with each team playing each other twice, while the top two will progress to the final on the 6th of September.

By: Staff Reporter