A build-up already stacked against the underdogs took another turn before Namibia’s T20 World Cup meeting with India in Delhi. What was expected to be routine preparation became a talking point after Namibia revealed they had not trained under lights ahead of a 7 PM start.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, captain Gerhard Erasmus drew attention to the issue, contrasting his side’s preparation with that of other teams at the venue. “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,” he said.
Namibia had played an 11 AM fixture against Netherlands at the same ground on February 10 and returned the following day for practice. However, their allocated slot fell between 2 PM and 5 PM, offering no opportunity to adjust to floodlit conditions before facing the defending champions in a night match.
Infrastructure challenges compound preparation concerns
For Erasmus, the matter extended beyond a single scheduling decision. He emphasised that Namibia’s cricketing infrastructure limits exposure to day-night conditions even at home.
“We haven’t got any [flood]lights in Namibia… the day/night games,” he said, underscoring the structural gap.
He elaborated on how that lack of facilities affects player readiness at major tournaments. “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, noting that only those with overseas franchise or World Cup experience are familiar with such conditions.
The contrast became more noticeable when Canada were seen training under lights despite their upcoming match being a 3 PM start, while Namibia prepared to leave the venue.
ICC clarifies training schedule process
Following the comments, the ICC addressed the issue in an official statement, outlining the process behind training allocations.
“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.
The governing body added that flexibility had been applied where possible. “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,” the spokesperson explained.
Providing further detail, the ICC stated, “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.”
Coach Craig Williams’ earlier expectations
The scheduling development contrasted with earlier remarks from Namibia coach Craig Williams, who had spoken after the team’s defeat to Netherlands and indicated that a night session was in the plan.
“All we can do is, we’ve got a night session planned,” Williams had said at the post-match press conference, appearing confident that his squad would train under lights.
He had also acknowledged the broader difficulty Namibia face in such conditions. “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 successful game,” Williams said.
Match result under lights
Ultimately, the fixture went ahead as scheduled at 7 PM in Delhi. India posted 209 for 9 in 20 overs before bowling Namibia out for 116 in 18.2 overs, sealing a comprehensive victory.
While the result reflected the gulf between the sides, the conversation around preparation and infrastructure highlighted the structural challenges associate nations continue to navigate on the global stage.
