Chuffed to have Gary Kirsten in our set-up: Namibia coach Craig Williams

As Namibia’s cricketers went through their training drills at the Arun Jaitley Stadium for their T20 World Cup Group-A opener against the Netherlands on Tuesday, there was a familiar figure in Gary Kirsten casting a keen eye on proceedings.

The former South African opener, who is here as a consultant for Namibia, is well-versed with what it takes to do well in this part of the world. Besides touring the sub-continent extensively during his playing days, he was notably the head coach of the M.S. Dhoni-led Indian team that won the ODI World Cup at home in 2011.

Namibia head coach Craig Williams, who represented the African country in the 2021 T20 World Cup, is enthused by Kirsten’s addition to the set-up. The 58-year-old came on board in December after a conversation with Namibia’s assistant coach Justin Kemp.

“Gary is helping us with all our programmes. He knows Indian conditions. He says India is like a second home for him,” Williams said on the sidelines of Namibia’s practice session on Sunday. “He’s going to work with the team for the next year. He will be in and out, but he’s committed for the whole World Cup. There’s not one department that he doesn’t help in. As a young coach, to learn from him is unbelievable. We’re super chuffed to have him.”

Namibia, playing in its fourth T20 World Cup, is grouped alongside India, Pakistan, the Netherlands and the United States of America (USA). While its chances of progressing beyond the preliminary phase are next to none, the minnow can take heart from the USA and the Netherlands running India and Pakistan close in their respective fixtures. “The best associates are definitely playing more cricket, which helps. Definitely, the gap is closing. The associate teams have become a lot more professional,” Williams noted.