Cape Town — Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus was left speechless after his team were knocked out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Thursday.
The south west Africans had their destiny in their own hands leading up to the final group match with the previously winless United Arab Emirates in Geelong, Australia. A victory would have ensured Namibia finished top of the log and with it progression to the Super12 stages.
But unfortunately for Erasmus’ men they fell seven runs short of chasing down the UAE’s 148/3 — with the Emirates outfit celebrating their first-ever win at the T20 World Cup.
Sri Lanka, who lost to Namibia in their opening game, and the Netherlands therefore advanced to the second round, and the Dutch will now face the Proteas on Monday in Hobart.
“I can't really put it into words. I think last year we were at the other end of this, so it's tough to sort of be trying to decipher with the last two games where it went wrong,” Erasmus said.
“But I think, all in all, we just didn't play well enough for the two wins. It's obviously very disappointing having lost two in a row now; it's hard to get your head around it.
“There was a change in momentum, obviously, after the first game after that high, which was in a way seems like it might have been inevitable, but I think we tried in both games to sort of do the rescue.”
At the heart of the attempted rescue act was David Wiese. The former Proteas all-rounder had powered Namibia into the Super12 stage last year in the UAE and was hellbent on repeating that act again on Thursday after the Namibians were reduced to 69/7 in the 13th over.
Wiese clubbed 55 off 36 balls to revive Namibia’s run-chase and came within inches of taking his adopted nation to victory when his attempted fourth six was acrobatically caught on the edge of the boundary line in the last over.
The 37-year-old, who plays in all the major franchise leagues around the world, was crestfallen that he could not haul his teammates into the next stage again.
“I think, you know, as a cricketer nowadays, there's so many tournaments, and you hone your skills and play in all these different tournaments, but it's always nice to have that home base, and it's always nice to have a team that you can resonate with, that is close to your heart and a team that you know their heart is in the right place,” Wiese said.
“Being a tournament player, it's quite often … in for four weeks, out, and self-preservation. You do well in that tournament; you get picked up in the next one
“It's a different story for you playing for your country. There's a part playing for your country and wanting to do well for your country. The attachment I have to these guys, they're such hard-working guys, such good human beings. You just want the best for them.
“I think that's just the main thing, is that I always believe that good things happen to good people. And it's really a good bunch of guys, good hard-working lads. I think that's just the most disappointing part, is that for them we wouldn't get the opportunity to showcase their skills in the next round, which is particularly disappointing.”
IOL Sport