Namibia cricket team captain Gerhard Erasmus took to social media to post a special request for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). India are scheduled to visit South Africa for a four-match T20I series in November and just after the official confirmation of the series, Erasmus invited the team to play a few matches in Namibia. The South Africa series is expected to take place between November 8-15 with the matches happening in Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg. 

“Hey @BCCI, warm-up in Windhoek?” Erasmus wrote as he quoted Cricket South Africa’s post announcing India’s visit. 

Hey @BCCI , warm-up in Windhoek?https://t.co/bldca6Mj4X

— Gerhard Erasmus (@gerharderasmus) June 21, 2024

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed the schedule of India’s T20I series to South Africa to be played in November 2024.

The tour will consist of a four-match T20I series beginning November 8 in Kingsmead Stadium (Durban), with the next game on November 10 in St George’s Park (Gqeberha), BCCI release said.

The series then moves to the Highveld with Supersport Park (Centurion) hosting the game on November 13, and Wanderers Stadium (Johannesburg) hosting the last game of the series on November 16.

Jay Shah, Honourary Secretary of the BCCI expressed confidence that the upcoming series will once again highlight the on-field cricketing excellence and deliver enthralling, high-intensity contests

“India and South Africa have always shared a deep and strong bond, one that both nations take great pride in. The Indian Cricket Team has consistently received immense appreciation and love from South African fans, and this sentiment is equally strong among Indian fans towards the South African side.”

Lawson Naidoo, CSA Chairperson, said: “I would like to thank the BCCI for their continued support to South Africa’s cricket, and world cricket in general. Any tour by the Indian cricket team to our shores is filled with amazing camaraderie and exciting cricket, and I know our fans will be eagerly awaiting this series which will showcase the exceptional talent from both teams.”

(With ANI inputs)

File photo of Michael Vaughan.© X (formerly Twitter)

Namibia all-rounder David Wiese has retired from international cricket after his teams final T20 World Cup group stage match against England on Sunday. Namibia’s camapign ended after their third group stage loss on Sunday to defending champion England. Their only win in the tournament came against Oman. After Wiese was dismissed by Jofra Archer in the final over of Namibia’s chase in a rain-curtailed match, he raised his helmet and bat to the crowd as he walked off before being greeted by his teammates, including captain Gerhard Erasmus, at the dugout.

“I mean, (the next) T20 World Cup is still two years away, I’m 39 years old now, so , in terms of international cricket, I don’t know if there’s much left in me,” Wiese said in the post match press conference. Obviously, I would still like to play the game for a couple more years, I feel like I’ve still got a lot to contribute and a lot to play,” he said.

“But I just feel like what better place to end a special career for me personally with Namibia. I’ve had a lot of good times with them and to play my last game for them possibly at a World Cup against a world-class team like England, it just seemed like the right time,” he added.

Wiese, who usually bats in the middle order, was promoted up the order to no. 3, smashed two sixes and a four in successive Adil Rashid in his 27 off 12 innings.

Originally from South Africa, Weise has played in three consecutive T20 World Cups for Namibia.

Wiese made his T20I debut for South Africa in 2013 and his ODI debut in 2015. He also represented the Proteas in the 2016 T20 World Cup. In 2021, he debuted for Namibia in the T20 World Cup and played a key role in their qualification for the Super 12s.

Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus too confirmed that Sunday’s game against England was Wiese’s last game for Namibia.

“Unfortunately it was his last game, which is a great moment for him to perform like that in his last game,” Eramus said in post match interview.

“Massive impact, in terms of the level of cricket he brought to our circle. He’s a great guy on the field in terms of performance but off the field he is someone we have really learned a lot from and he’s inspired us to new heights and greater heights,” the Namibia skipper said.

England beat Namibia in T20 World Cup 2024 match© AFP

ENG vs NAM T20 World Cup 2024 LIVE Updates© X (formerly Twitter)

Defending champions England will be eager to brush aside Namibia ruthlessly on Saturday and stay relevant in the race to the T20 World Cup Super Eight stage. England were living on the edge after a washout against Scotland and a loss against Australia, but the Ben Stokes-led side turned it around in style with an eight-wicket win over Oman. After bundling out Oman for 47, England raced past the target in just 3.1 overs, a record margin of 101 balls to spare. The result has also done wonders to England’s net run rate (NRR), the crucial separating factor between them and Scotland in Group B. The Three Lions’ NRR leapt from -1.8 to +3.08, going past Scotland’s +2.16.

However, Scotland have five points to England’s three. Hence, the former two-time champions will need to defeat Namibia to go equal with Scotland and then hope that the latter loses to Australia, who have already qualified for Super Eight.

In that scenario, England will enter Super Eight with better NRR, but an upset win over Australia by Scotland or a washout at Gros Islet will eliminate Stokes and his wards.

When will the Namibia vs England, T20 World Cup 2024 match be played?

The Namibia vs England, T20 World Cup 2024 match will be played on Saturday, June 15 (IST).

Where will the Namibia vs England, T20 World Cup 2024 match be played?

The Namibia vs England, T20 World Cup 2024 match will be played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua.

What time will the Namibia vs England, T20 World Cup 2024 match start?

The Namibia vs England, T20 World Cup 2024 match will start at 10:30 PM IST. The toss will take place at 10:00 PM IST.

Which TV channels will telecast the Namibia vs England, T20 World Cup 2024 match?

The Namibia vs England, T20 World Cup 2024 match will be telecast in India on the Star Sports Network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Namibia vs England, T20 World Cup 2024 match?

The Namibia vs England, T20 World Cup 2024 match will be streamed live on Disney plus Hotstar app and website.

(All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster)

With PTI Inputs

Namibia have played three matches and they are ranked fourth on the points table, while England have also played three matches and are placed third on the points table. In the last match played by Namibia, Australia beat Namibia by nine wickets. The top fantasy player for Namibia was Gerhard Erasmus who scored 50 fantasy points. In England’s last match in this tournament, England beat Oman by eight wickets. The top fantasy player for England was Adil Rashid who scored 134 fantasy points.

NAM vs ENG, Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

The pitch at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua, is balanced. The average first-innings score at this venue in the last 20 matches is 67 runs. Both teams will look to chase upon winning the toss as the majority of the games played on this ground have been won by the side chasing.

Pace or Spin?

The venue is suited for both pacers and spinners alike.

Weather Report

The temperature will hover around 29 degree Celsius with 69% humidity. Winds are expected at 7.99 m/s. There is light rain expected which may affect playing conditions.

NAM vs ENG, Fantasy XI Top Captain and Vice-Captain Picks

Gerhard Erasmus (NAM)

Gerhard Erasmus is an all-rounder with an average of 77 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.2 and can be a differential pick for your Fantasy XI Team. The right-handed batter has scored 116 runs in the last five matches. He can also give you some bowling fantasy points, and bowling off-break and in recent matches, he has taken four wickets.

Mark Wood (ENG)

Mark Wood is a good-to-have player for your Fantasy XI Fantasy Team. He has an average of 65 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8. He bowls right-arm fast and in the recently played five matches, Wood has taken five wickets.

Joseph Buttler (ENG)

Jos Buttler is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He has an average of 64 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8.8. The right-handed explosive batter has scored 189 runs in the last five matches.

Philip Salt (ENG)

Phil Salt can be a good pick for your Fantasy XI Team. He has an average of 62 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8. The wicketkeeper-batter has scored 107 runs in the recently played five matches.

David Wiese (NAM)

David Wiese is an all-rounder with an average of 47 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.4 and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. Wiese bats right-handed and has scored 37 runs in the recently played five matches. The right-arm medium-fast bowler has taken six wickets in recent matches.

Bernard Scholtz (NAM)

Bernard Scholtz can be a good pick for your Fantasy XI Team. He has an average of 43 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 7.5. He is a slow left-arm orthodox bowler and in the recent five matches, he has taken five wickets.

Ruben Trumpelmann (NAM)

Ruben Trumpelmann is a bowler with an average of 43 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 7.8 and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He is a left-arm fast bowler and in the last five matches, he has taken seven wickets.

Nikolaas Davin (NAM)

Niko Davin is a good-to-have player for your Fantasy XI Fantasy Team. Niko has an average of 29 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 7.3. The top-order batter has scored 60 runs in the last played five matches.

NAM vs ENG, Squads

England (ENG): Jos Buttler (captain/wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt (wicketkeeper), Reece Topley and Mark Wood.

Namibia (NAM): Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger and PD Blignaut.

NAM vs ENG, Fantasy XI Team

Wicket-Keepers: Jos Buttler and Phil Salt

Batters: Harry Brook and Nikolaas Davin

All-Rounders: Moeen Ali, David Wiese, Gerhard Erasmus and Liam Livingstone

Bowlers: Mark Wood and Ruben Trumpelmann

Captain: Moeen Ali

Vice-Captain: Jos Buttler

The 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will see the return of a major global cricket tournament to the West Indies after 14 years. The USA will also host World Cup games for the first time ever. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced India’s 15-man squad on April 30. Rohit Sharma will lead the side, while Hardik Pandya retained vice-captaincy despite a difficult IPL 2024 season. Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul were the headline absentees. The T20 World Cup gets underway on June 2 as USA take on Canada. The final is on June 29, at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

All 20 T20 World Cup Squads:

India (ICC T20I Rank-1):

Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan

Australia (ICC T20I Rank-2):

Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Reserves: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matthew Short

England (ICC T20I Rank-3):

Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

West Indies (ICC T20I Rank-4):

Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

New Zealand (ICC T20I Rank-5):

Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee. 

Reserve: Ben Sears

Pakistan (ICC T20I Rank-6):

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan

South Africa (ICC T20I Rank-7):

Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs

Sri Lanka (ICC T20I Rank-8):

Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka

Reserves: Asitha Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage

Bangladesh (ICC T20I Rank-9):

Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib

Reserves: Afif Hossain, Hasan Mahmud

Afghanistan (ICC T20I Rank-10):

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik

Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi

Ireland (ICC T20I Rank-11):

Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young

Namibia (ICC T20I Rank-13):

Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger, PD Blignaut

Scotland (ICC T20I Rank-14):

Richie Berrington (c), Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal

Netherlands (ICC T20I Rank-15): 

Scott Edwards (c), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Ryan Klein, Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, ⁠⁠Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi

Reserve: Ryan Klein

Nepal (ICC T20I Rank-17):

Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Kamal Singh Airee

United States (ICC T20I Rank-18):

Monank Patel (c), Aaron Jones, Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Nethralvakar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir. Reserve Players: Gajanand Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Yasir Mohammad

Oman (ICC T20I Rank-19):

Aqib Ilyas (c), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale, Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi, Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad, Khalid Kail

Reserves: Jatinder Singh, Samay Shrivastava, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra

Papua New Guinea (ICC T20I Rank-20):

Assadollah Vala (c), Alei Nao, Chad Soper, CJ Amini, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony Ura

Uganda (ICC T20I Rank-22):

Brian Masaba (c), Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Dinesh Nakrani, Fred Achelam, Kenneth Waiswa, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah, Juma Miyaji, Ronak Patel

Reserves: Innocent Mwebaze, Ronald Lutaaya

Canada (ICC T20I Rank-23):

Saad Bin Zafar (c), Aaron Johnson, Ravinderpal Singh, Navneet Dhaliwal, Kaleem Sana, Dilon Heyliger, Jeremy Gordon, Nikhil Dutta, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Rayyankhan Pathan, Junaid Siddiqui, Dilpreet Bajwa, Shreyas Movva, Rishiv Joshi. Reserves: Tajinder Singh, Aaditya Varadharajan, Ammar Khalid, Jatinder Matharu, Parveen Kumar

Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton smashed a ton in just 33 balls© Twitter

An astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA) has shared breathtaking photos of the Namib Desert in western Namibia captured from space. The Namib is believed to be among the oldest deserts on Earth, dating back 55 million years.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen shared a few photos of the Namib showcasing the features of the coastal desert. “The rolling sand seas of the Namib desert along the coast of Namibia. It is perhaps the world’s oldest desert, stretching back 55-80 million years,” he wrote.

One of the photos also shows a crater-like formation in the desert surrounded by sand dunes which, according to Mr Mogensen, is the Brukkaros Mountain.

“A little inland of the sand dunes, is the Brukkaros Mountain. Although it looks like a meteor crater when seen from space, it is actually a caldera, about 4 km in diameter, that formed from an underground explosion when groundwater was superheated by rising magma,” he wrote.

The rolling sand seas of the Namib desert along the coast of Namibia???????? It is perhaps the world’s oldest desert, stretching back 55-80 million years. A little inland of the sand dunes, is the Brukkaros Mountain ????Although it looks like a meteor crater when see from space, it is… pic.twitter.com/dCeUpuhEkl

— Andreas Mogensen (@Astro_Andreas) September 15, 2023

The Namib, considered to be one of the driest places on Earth, means “an area where there is nothing” in the local Nama language.

According to US space agency NASA, the Namib coastal desert is formed due to a cool ocean current called the Benguela Current. The current suppresses rainfall in the region but creates morning fog that gets trapped on the surface of the sand dunes and allows sparse vegetation growth in some places. 

The dunes in Namib Desert, formed by strong onshore winds, are the tallest in the world measuring as high as 1,167 feet in places.

The dunes are created when materials get transported from thousands of kilomteres by river, ocean current, and wind. The reptiles and mammals in the arid region rely on fog, which is their primary source of water.