Under new captain Aqib Ilyas, Oman take on Namibia in a battle of equals

Playing in their third consecutive T20 World Cup, Namibia will be looking to build on impressive previous showings. In 2021, they had surprised many by qualifying for Super 12s – at the expense of Ireland and Netherlands – and in 2022 they beat Sri Lanka in the first round, but fell short of progressing.

They made it to T20 World Cup 2024 by dominating the Africa qualifier, winning all six of their games. With England and Australia also in their group, they will know that their best shot at the Super 8s involves beating Oman and Scotland and then pulling off an upset.

But Oman, their first opponents, could offer tough competition. When the two teams faced off in a five-match T20I series in April, Oman ran Namibia close, with Namibia eventually sealing a 3-2 win.

Oman, also making their third T20 World Cup appearance, come into the tournament with momentum on their side. They reached the ACC Premier Cup final, winning five games on the trot, although they lost to UAE in the final. They have a new captain for this World Cup, with Aqib Ilyas replacing the experienced Zeeshan Maqsood in the role.

David Wiese one of the biggest reasons behind Namibia’s impressive campaign in 2021, has since become a T20 globetrotter, playing in several franchise leagues including the IPL, the Hundred and the PSL. He has also played the CPL and MLC, giving him a feel of the conditions on offer by T20 World Cup’s two hosts. Namibia would hope that the experience he has gained over the last few years will set him up for a good campaign, as he is key to their plans with bat and ball.

Aqib Ilyas, apart from being a top-order batter, is also a more-than-handy spinner. He was the leading wicket-taker in the ACC Premier Cup with 12 scalps from five matches at an economy of 6.22. In the series decider against Namibia,  he picked up 2 for 21 from three overs and then struck a 29-ball 51 in an unsuccessful chase of 213. Namibia will be wary of the threat he poses, but how he deals with the added responsibility of leading the team will have to be seen.

Namibia (probable XI): Nikolas Davin, Jean-Pierre Kotze, Michael van Lingen, Gerhard Erasmus (capt), JJ Smit, David Wiese,  Jan Frylinck, Zane Green (wk),  Ruben Trumpelmann,  Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo

Oman (probable XI): Kashyap Prajapati, Naseem Khushi (wk), Aqib Ilyas (capt), Zeeshan Maqsood, Pratik Athavale (wk),  Ayaan Khan,  Khalid Kail,  Shakeel Ahmad,  Rafiullah,  Fayyaz Butt,  Bilal Khan