The Veterans Cricket Association of Namibia (VCAN) Over 40s team will participate in the
inaugural International Masters Cricket (IMC) Over 40s World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa,
from 19 February to 1 March.
“After a very successful Africa Cup tournament in November, the expectation both within the
team and from our supporters is to do well and for a strong showing at the World Cup,” said
Nicolaas Buys, captain of the VCAN Over 40s team. The team won silver medals at the recent
Africa Cup, playing against South Africa in the final.
“It would be a great achievement if we can finish in the top 3 of our pool, which would mean a
top 6 finish and pushing for a semifinal place. That said, we must be realistic as we will compete
against very strong and experienced teams,” said Buys.
The Namibian team will go into the World Cup with great confidence after recently playing
together and doing well at the Africa Cup. “The new players coming into the team are all great
players with a lot of experience, which will increase the strength and depth of our team,” Buys
said.
Erasmus believes that if each player brings the best possible performance to each playing
opportunity, the team can compete well and make for effective competition. “We’re a group of
hardy and spirited men, which shines through in some of our matches. A hard-nosed brand of
competitive cricket may provide for surprising moments. We are relatively fit and skilled, so we
plan on making things interesting whenever possible,” Erasmus said.
Duane Viljoen, a South Africa-based VCAN Over 40s player, said that one of the lessons learned
from the recent Africa Cup is that the team needs to be more patient when batting and not give
away wickets. “We are used to playing T20 cricket, where you have less time to settle in – The
45-over game is completely different, and you have a lot more time to settle in and lay a good
base for the team to launch at the end of the innings,” he said.
Namibia is in Pool A with England, Australia, Zimbabwe, Canada and the USA for the upcoming
IMC World Cup. Rowan Erasmus, one of the VCAN Over 40s team players for the Africa Cup
and part of the World Cup team, said that Australia and England are the obvious teams to watch
out for in their pool. “A revitalised Zimbabwe may provide for some unexpected results,” he
added. Duane Viljoen, a South Africa-based VCAN Over 40s player, agrees that England has to
be the favourite for this tournament. “They have played Masters Cricket for much longer than
any other nation. In the IMC Over 50s World Cup last year, we saw that England looked well
prepared and so much fitter than other teams.”
Squad: Nicolaas Buys (c); Asad Abbas; Riaan De Witt; Johan Nel; Jaco Duvenhage; Conrad Jacobs; Rowan Erasmus; Pieter Meuwesen; Christo Greeff; Duane Viljoen; Saleem Muhammad; Gerrie Snyman; Rudi Scholtz; Wimpie Martins; Norbet Manyande; Francois Fuscher
Download 2024 Over 40s Cricket World Cup https://www.cricketnamibia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024Over-40sCWC_A4-Programme_Digital_compressed-1-1_compressed-1_compressed.pdf
[Contact Lezél Amoraal-Füscher at communication@vcan.org.na or 081 7785355 to arrange interviews or
for more information.
