The Namibia men's national cricket team represents Namibia in international cricket. It is administered by Cricket Namibia, the governing body of cricket in Namibia, which has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 1992.
A team representing South West Africa played in South African domestic competitions prior to Namibia's independence in 1990. After joining the ICC, the country soon became one of the leading ICC associate members in Africa. Namibia finished second at the 2001 ICC Trophy, thereby qualifying for the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa. The team made its One Day International (ODI) debut at the tournament but failed to win a match. Beginning in 2004, Namibia participated in every edition of the ICC Intercontinental Cup, finishing runners-up in 2007–08. It also featured at the highest levels of the World Cricket League (WCL), twice participating in the WCL Championship, and finished third at the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier.
Namibia were runners-up at the 2019 WCL Division Two tournament to secure the ODI status and qualify for the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2. The team finished fourth at the 2019 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier to qualify for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. It subsequently recorded its first World Cup victories, defeating the Netherlands and Ireland in the first round of the tournament to progress to the Super 12 stage.
History
The earliest instance of cricket being played in Windhoek dates back to 1909 when South West Africa was very much a German colony. During the First World War (1914), South African troops opened assault in the region. A game of cricket was recorded in the Okonjande prisoner of war camp near Otjiwarongo. South Africa captured South West Africa following Germany's defeat. It came under the League of Nations mandate in the Union of South Africa.
Following this, cricket was regularly played in the Western Province. The South West Africa Cricket Union was formed in 1930 and the first organised matches were played in the region. South West Africa began playing in the South African Country Cricket Association's annual competition in the 1961–62 season.
South West Africa (1961–1989)
South West Africa competed in the South African Country Cricket Association's annual competition between 1961 and 1989. In 1966, the Namibian war of Independence was launched by the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, an armed wing of SWAPO. South West African rebels welcomed the sporting boycott of the South African apartheid regime and lent their support to the "Stop the seventy tour" campaign.
South West Africa played their last domestic season in South Africa in January 1989. In April, PLAN launched its final guerrilla campaign and the South West Africa Cricket Union severed their ties with the South African Cricket Board (SACB).
In November 1989, a Namibian team toured Botswana and played their first international fixture, although the Namibian Cricket Board were not affiliated to the International Cricket Council until 1992.Namibia at CricketArchive
Initial years After the Botswana tour, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club visited Namibia in March 1990, taking part in the Independence Day celebrations. This was followed by a visit from The Netherlands in April. Before the formation of the African Cricket Association, the SCSA Zone VI cricket federation was formed after two schoolboy cricket tours between Namibia and Botswana in 1989 and 1990. The inaugural ACA tournament was held in Windhoek in September 1991, with Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Lesotho and Botswana playing as well as an Oxford University Cricket Club side.
2003 World Cup The road to the 2003 Cricket World Cup started with the 2001 ICC Trophy in Canada. Namibia reached the final at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, losing to the Netherlands, but still qualifying for their first World Cup.Scorecard of 2001 ICC Trophy Final, 15 July 2001 at Cricket Archive Namibia then hosted the ICC 6 Nations Challenge in April 2002, finishing fourth2002 ICC 6 Nations Challenge Points Table at Cricket Archive and had a disappointing Africa Cup campaign that September, finishing fourth in their group and beating only Tanzania,2002 Africa Cup at CricketEurope before losing four matches against Zimbabwe A a few weeks later.Namibia in Zimbabwe 2002/03 at Cricket Archive A tour of Kenya was more successful, as Namibia beat Kenya in a four match one-day series.Namibia in Kenya 2002/03 at Cricket Archive Following this, Namibia took part in the top level of South African domestic one-day cricket, the Standard Bank Cup, but lost all five of their games.Standard Bank Cup 2002/03 Points Table at Cricket Archive Bangladesh toured in January 2003, winning the five match one-day series 4–1.Bangladesh in Namibia 2002/03 at Cricket Archive
The World Cup itself started on 10 February 2003 in Harare with Zimbabwe beating Namibia by 86 runs in Namibia's debut One Day International (ODI).Scorecard of Zimbabwe v Namibia, 10 February 2003 at Cricket Archive
They went on to lose to Pakistan by 171 runs,Scorecard of Namibia v Pakistan, 16 February 2003 at Cricket Archive before a 55 run defeat at the hands of England in which Namibia performed with some credit, Jan-Berrie Burger winning the man of the match award for his innings of 85 runs that came close to helping the side pull off an unlikely upset.Scorecard of England v Namibia, 19 February 2003 at Cricket Archive They then lost by 181 runs to IndiaScorecard of India v Namibia, 23 February 2003 at Cricket Archive and by 256 runs against Australia,Scorecard of Australia v Namibia, 27 February 2003 at Cricket Archive the eventual winners of the tournament,2003 World Cup at Cricinfo in what at the time was the biggest winning margin in One Day Internationals.ODIs – Highest winning margins at Cricinfo The tournament finished with a 64 run loss to fellow qualifiers the Netherlands.Scorecard of Namibia v Netherlands, 3 March 2003 at Cricket Archive
After the World Cup In August 2003, Zimbabwe A toured Namibia. Namibia won the one-day series 2–1, but lost both three-day games.Zimbabwe A in Namibia 2003/04 at Cricket Archive A return visit to Zimbabwe the following January saw Namibia win a five match one-day series against Zimbabwe A 4–1, also winning a match against Zimbabwe Under-19s.Namibia in Zimbabwe 2003/04 at Cricket Archive Bangladesh toured Namibia in February, winning all three one-day games and drawing the three-day game.Bangladesh in Namibia 2003/04 at Cricket Archive Following this, Namibia travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the 2004 ICC Six Nations Challenge. They finished third on run rate after beating Canada, the Netherlands and the UAE and losing to Scotland and the USA.2004 ICC 6 Nations Challenge at CricketEurope Namibia played two ICC Intercontinental Cup matches against Kenya and Uganda in 2004, losing them both.2004 Intercontinental Cup at CricketEurope In between the two matches, they won an African nations tournament in Zambia.Points Table for 2004 African tournament at Cricinfo Later in the year, they took part in Zimbabwe's national one-day domestic competition, in which they finished as runners-up.Faithwear Clothing Inter-Provincial One-Day Competition 2004/05 Points Table at Cricket Archive Whilst in Zimbabwe, they won two matches against the national side.Namibia in Zimbabwe 2004/05 at Cricket Archive This was followed by a visit to Namibia by England, who won both matches.England in Namibia 2004/05 at Cricket Archive
Zimbabwe A again visited Namibia in early 2005, losing both one-day matches that finished.Zimbabwe A in Namibia 2004/05 at Cricket Archive Pakistan A were the next visitors in April, winning all three one-day matches and drawing in the three-day game.Pakistan A in Namibia 2004/05 at Cricket Archive This was followed by their two regional group games in the 2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup. Whilst they were unbeaten, winning against Uganda and drawing against Kenya, this was not enough to qualify for the semi-finals.2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup at CricketEurope They then visited Ireland to take part in the 2005 ICC Trophy. They finished 7th after beating Denmark in their final play-off game.Scorecard of Denmark v Namibia, 11 July 2005 at Cricket Archive Back at home, they hosted New Zealand at the end of July, losing both games,New Zealand in Namibia 2005/06 at Cricket Archive losing by only 29 runs after conceding 330/6.Scorecard of Namibia v New Zealand, 30 July 2005 at Cricket Archive In October of that year, they hosted the semi-finals of the Intercontinental Cup, despite failing to qualify. While the final was being played, they played a two match one-day series against Bermuda after they had been knocked out of the tournament, winning both games, but the games were tarnished by controversial incidents, with the Bermuda team accusing the Namibian team of racist insults, and walking off in the second game when a flurry of bouncers were unleashed at the lower order Bermuda batsmen.Racism, rows and a walk-off tarnish 'friendly' one-dayers by Cricinfo staff, 30 October 2005 at Cricinfo The Namibian Cricket Board denied the allegations of racism.Bermuda's allegations 'rejected with contempt' by Cricinfo staff, 4 November 2005 at Cricinfo
In March 2006, Namibia met Nepal in a challenge match to decide who got the eighth and final spot in the 2006 ICC Intercontinental Cup. The match was drawn, with Namibia getting a first innings lead, thus qualifying them for the main tournament. The main tournament itself started with an innings defeat by Scotland in Aberdeen before a five wicket defeat by Ireland in Dublin, both matches in May.2006 ICC Intercontinental Cup at CricketEurope In the 2006–07 South African cricket season, Namibia took part in the second tier of first-class and List A cricket, the South African Airways Challenge. They finished second in their group in the three-day tournament2006/07 South African Airways Provincial Three-Day Challenge points table at Cricket Archive and third in their group in the one-day tournament, missing out on reaching the semi-finals by one win.2006/07 South African Airways Provincial One-Day Challenge points table at Cricket Archive In the midst of the matches in those tournaments, they played their third and final 2006 Intercontinental Cup match, beating the UAE by an innings. On 1 April 2007, they became part of the ICC's High Performance Program.Denmark added to ICC High Performance Program , ICC Europe Media Release, 20 December 2006 at European Cricket Council
In November/December 2007, Namibia hosted Division Two of the World Cricket League where they played against Argentina, Denmark, Oman, the UAE and Uganda. Although Namibia won three of their five group matches, it was not enough for them to progress to the final. Namibia beat Denmark in the third place playoff. On the basis of their top four finish in this tournament, Namibia qualified for the ICC World Cup Qualifier in 2009, the final tournament in qualification for the 2011 World Cup.
Namibia again took part in the second tier of South African domestic cricket between October 2007 and February 2008.Namibia to continue in South African provincial cricket by Andrew Nixon, 29 June 2007 at CricketEurope They played a 2007–08 ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Canada in October 2007, playing the remaining games against Bermuda, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands, Scotland and the UAE in 2008.
Namibia won the 2009–10 ICC Intercontinental Shield defeating the United Arab Emirates by six wickets in Dubai. In 2011 Namibia participated in Division Two and finished as runners-up, on this occasion behind the UAE.