Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus on Wednesday questioned why his team was not allotted a single night practice session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium ahead of their T20 World Cup match against India on February 12, even as the hosts trained twice under lights in the build-up.
Speaking on the eve of the contest, Erasmus said Namibia, who are not accustomed to playing under lights due to infrastructure limitations back home, would have benefited from exposure to match conditions.
“We haven’t even been given a night training session before this match. I don’t know why,” Erasmus said.
India, he pointed out, had two back-to-back night practice sessions, while Canada were also scheduled to train under lights.
“India have had two night training sessions, and I see Canada are going to have a night training now, so make of that what you want. But we will just turn up and do it the Namibian way, fight,” he added.
Challenge of playing under lights
Erasmus underlined that Namibia do not host day-night matches due to infrastructure challenges, making exposure to floodlit conditions rare for his players.
“We don’t have day-night or night games in Namibia because of infrastructure challenges. It’s not something our players are regularly exposed to,” he said.
While some Namibian cricketers have featured in leagues such as the Nepal Premier League and the International League T20 (ILT20), Erasmus admitted that regular training under lights is still limited.
“You don’t really get accustomed to training under lights very often,” he said.
Batting-friendly surface expected
On the pitch, Erasmus predicted a high-scoring contest under lights.
“I think it’s really good. We’ve seen good scores throughout the World Cup across venues. There have been higher-scoring games, but we haven’t yet seen those 220–240 type scores,” he said.
Referring to the earlier Netherlands game at the venue, which was played in the morning, Erasmus said conditions could differ at night.
“That was a morning game. Their captain said it was a little slow and turning at the start. But I don’t think it will be the same wicket because this is a night game. I think it will be flatter, probably a higher-scoring game, and better for batting.”
He also described the ground as relatively small, which could make it a boundary-heavy encounter.
“It’s quite a small ground, so it could be a boundary-type game. I’m sure that’s how the Indian batters have approached their cricket over the last year or so — putting bowlers under pressure. We have to be ready for that challenge,” he said.
India’s variety a major test
Erasmus acknowledged the scale of the challenge against India, particularly their varied bowling attack.
“The reason they’ve had such a high success rate over the last two years and why they are the reigning champions is because of the variety in their attack,” he said.
Whether India opt for seamers or load up on spin, Namibia expect a stern examination.
“Whoever plays — whether seamers or spinners — it’s going to be a big challenge for our batters, especially against variations they might not have faced before. But if our boys can rise to that challenge and compete well, we will be very happy with the effort.”
Value of ties with BCCI
Erasmus also spoke about the benefits of Namibia’s growing cricketing ties with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), including tours involving Indian domestic teams such as Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
“We have really good ties with the BCCI. They have made exchange programmes available, with Indian state teams coming to Namibia and us visiting India,” he said.
For associate nations, he said, regular high-quality competition is vital.
“You want strong opposition regularly, not once every two years, so that you can improve and climb the rankings,” he added.
Describing the tours as valuable, Erasmus said most of the matches were 50-over games that helped Namibia’s development.
“These inbound tours, and our tours to India, will only help grow our cricket. We’ve had a strong relationship with the BCCI and I hope it continues for many years.”
Even as he questioned the lack of night training, Erasmus made it clear that Namibia would rely on resilience rather than excuses when they walk out under lights against India.
