It’s going to be a family affair at the Harare Sports Club on Monday when first-timers Namibia begin their World Cup campaign against hosts Zimbabwe.
Lining up will be the Flower brothers, the Kotze brothers and the Burger brothers, the first instance in World Cup history where three sets of brothers will be involved in one match.
Andy and Grant Flower have been part of Zimbabwe cricket for more then a decade with left-hander Andy widely regarded as one of the most prolific run-getters in the contemporary game.
Little, however, is known about the Kotze and Burger siblings from Namibia. Deon Kotze, a powerful middle-order batsman, leads Namibia while younger brother, Bjorn opens the bowling. Louis and Sarel Burger are both batsmen. There is another Burger in the team, Jan-Berry, but he is not related to Louis and Sarel. And that’s not all that is unique about the Namibian team.
When opening bowler Rudi van Vuuren sends down his first delivery on Monday, he will create history as the first man to play in both the rugby and cricket World Cups. Van Vuuren was part of the Namibian rugby team at the last World Cup in England four years ago and is regarded a certainity for the next one in Australia in October.
Away from the sporting fields, Van Vuuren is a doctor treating Aids patients across his homeland.
”It never gets any easier,” he was quoted as saying recently. ”If it wasn’t for sport I would be a very agitated person.”
Namibia also have the oldest player at this World Cup — 43-year-old spinner Lennie Louw.
For a nation that gained independence only in 1990, and boasts just 17 cricket clubs in and around the capital Windhoek, Namibia has done well to make it so far.
They qualified for the World Cup by reaching the final of the ICC Trophy in Canada two years ago. Kotze’s men went to Canada as rank outsiders, and returned to a hero’s welcome from 1 000 jubliant fans at Windhoek airport after narrowly losing out in the final to the Netherlands.
World Cup boss Ali Bacher of South Africa said then the Namibian cricketers were the biggest thing to happen to that country since Olympic sprinter Frankie Fredericks.
Captain Kotze, however, stressed his team was not here at the World Cup just to make up the numbers.
”Everytime we step onto the field we are going out there to
win,” he said. ”We went to Canada as massive underdogs, but came through due to our commitment. If we have one strength, it’s our team spirit and togetherness.”
It was no empty boast as Namibia warmed up for their biggest cricket test by winning both their practice matches against South African provincial teams.
That is more than what both India and Pakistan achieved in the run-up to cricket’s showpiece which opens later on Saturday. ”Its a big moment for the team as most of us have only seen the World Cup on television,” team manager Francois Erasmus said.
”We have really been encouraged by the support of people back home. We have nothing to lose, so the boys will just go out there, enjoy themselves and play good cricket.”
Win or lose, Namibia are set for a memorable World Cup debut. – Sapa
More cricket in our Cricket World Cup special report