New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus admitted his side fell short in their seven-wicket defeat to the Netherlands at the Men’s T20 World Cup, saying the toss and missed opportunities played a role, but admitted that a score of 156 was never going to be quite enough.
“I felt like it was a decent toss for them to win. He also said he thought it was a good toss to win, seeing the amount of stick the spin got in those first and third overs. So, that’s a cricketing thing, and it’s out of your control that you can’t really control the toss, as maybe they got a little bit better conditions.
“But that’s not in our control — what was in our control was the bat and ball. I thought the guys stuck to it on the sticky surface in that first bit of the game to try and build up to 160 as opposed to bash your way there,” Erasmus told reporters in the mixed zone at the conclusion of the game.
He said Namibia had structured their innings well until the halfway mark, but failed to capitalise late on. “Pretty tough to just head out to try and hit boundaries. So I thought we did a decent job until the halfway mark, until the 10th, 11th over to be at 70-odd or 80-odd. After over 12 or so, we were on course to maybe get a 165, 170 score, and maybe have a bit more free time.
“So to an extent, the batters did structure it quite well. But then obviously, those last three overs we didn’t quite capitalise with the run out here and there, and just didn’t top up the innings at the end of it. 150 (156) these days, probably not quite enough. The guys have such good bats. It just feels like the ’50s isn’t quite enough,” he added.
Reflecting on his own dismissal to Bas de Leede, Erasmus said, “I felt like it was kind of the part of the game where it’s getting a little bit easier with the ball, just getting a little bit softer. Doesn’t have all of that stuff like we saw and didn’t get in the power play. I felt like taking the positive option, still thought we had to get 165, 170, even though the wicket is tough.
“As you said, got a good start and then felt the ball was there to hit over mid-wicket. But it’s probably that kind of length that is quite difficult because the surface is really in play when you bang it in. It’s probably that kind of length that is quite tough. Didn’t quite get it over, and we didn’t get 160 and didn’t quite defend it.
“So it feels like a day where we just had a little bit not enough, not enough, not enough all the time. It happens in cricket, but I’m still proud of the boys that they got up to that 150 mark and fought sort of against the conditions.
“But still you have to own up to the performance, still have to own up to the fact that we lost a cricketing game and we’re disappointed at that. We want to put our badge out there as one that’s proud and put our cricketing nation at the forefront of it. So we’ll be fighting hard through the rest of the group stage to try and get wins,” he elaborated.
Looking ahead to their clash against India on Thursday, Erasmus acknowledged the scale of the challenge. “It can be overwhelming, I guess. As a human, it can be overwhelming when you’ve been thrown things that you haven’t ever seen in your life. But in saying that, I think we’re obviously going to approach it positively. We’re going to see it as an opportunity under lights to play against the best team in the world and in front of 50,000 fans.
“I don’t know how many are going to come in, but it’s going to be just a day of opportunity for us. If we see it in that positive light, the side things like playing under lights and playing in front of so many fans and playing against the best players in the world will be a little bit more of a side issue, and you can focus a bit more on yourself and bring your skill set.”
He also praised Namibia’s supporters travelling to India for cheering them in various cities. “Yes, they are very proud. You should have seen how loud they were when we beat the Proteus. It’s really a prideful type of, I can almost say, a family-oriented kind of support system that we have back home. Being a small population, it’s a very tight one, so connecting with the fans is quite easy, and they being a part of what we do is quite easy, and we really welcome that.
“So it’s nice to see so many people out there. I think the touring party is more than 25 or 30 this year. That’s awesome for us to have. Very special, I guess that’s the reason you play cricket, it’s for the fans, for the entertainment. Then obviously, as a career, you want to make your family proud as well. So all in all it’s going to be a very cool moment for them to also see the India game.”
Erasmus highlighted Namibia’s ties with Indian cricket and the support they have received from the country. “We have very nice ties with the BCCI. We have exchange programs where we’ve played against Karnataka, Punjab, and Assam over the years. We come there, they go here. After the game against India, they’re going to give us light (teams). We’ve played in Greater Noida in the I-Cup a while back in 2016. I was part of that game. I’ve been to Delhi once or twice before, but this is our first white-ball tournament or game here.”
Seeing 6,139 fans out in New Delhi was also heartening for Erasmus. “These were two neutral teams, and you still saw quite a few fans out there today. That goes to show cricket is such a massive thing in India. I’ve had that feeling in the franchise and in previous World Cups. We’ve had that feeling of how the energy stems from the subcontinent and the Indian community.
“That was again awesome to see a bunch of fans out there today in a neutral game. The India game is going to be a ramp-up, but it’s awesome to have the World Cup here. It’s definitely where world cricket’s energy stems from these days. That’s why it’s so nice as a player to be able to experience that and to give back to those people. They are the reason cricket happens and why we play.”
On consultant coach Gary Kirsten, Erasmus said, “I’ve mostly answered this question in two folds. Obviously, as you said, the Indian knowledge, the knowledge of the players and conditions around, is definitely there. Cricket is a game played according to the roles of the conditions, so a very healthy member of the squad to have in that sense, or a positive force to have in.
“But I always say with management, and the captain being a part of the management, is to have a great human there first, and this is the nicest thing about having Gary Sir there, is the way he communicates, connects with players, is probably the first thing that I enjoy the most about him.
“If you have that good relationship of trust, you tend to share more easily as a batter, especially your first skills, you tend to share information a lot quicker, a lot more healthily, and I’ve really enjoyed working with him because he’s a great human,” he said.
–IANS
nr/bsk/