Namibia Vs Oman, T20 World Cup: Aqib Ilyas & Co Take On 'Eagles' In Their Campaign Opener

Namibia start their ICC T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a match against Oman at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Monday. Recent history favours Namibia, who have triumphed in four out of six head-to-head encounters, including a 3-2 series win in Oman earlier this year and a crucial victory in the 2020 World Cup Qualifier quarter-final. (More Cricket News)

The Kensington Oval has recently been a haven for high-scoring matches, with totals exceeding 170 in each of the last five games. However, Namibia and Oman have a history of low-scoring affairs, with only three of their previous encounters surpassing the 140-run mark. Despite this trend, the potential for a high-scoring game cannot be dismissed given the venue’s track record.

Namibia, nicknamed the ‘Eagles’, enter this tournament brimming with confidence. They qualified ahead of Zimbabwe in the Africa regional qualifier, a full member nation, and showcased their capabilities in the 2022 edition by defeating Sri Lanka.

However, narrow losses to the UAE and the Netherlands prevented their progression. Key players like Ruben Trumpelmann and Bernard Scholtz will be pivotal. Trumpelmann, with an economy rate of just 7.40 in World Cup matches, and Scholtz, who impressed in warm-ups against Uganda and Australia, will be crucial in keeping Oman’s batters in check.

Namibian skipper Gerhard Erasmus also enters the tournament in good form, having taken 2/24 against Uganda in the warm-ups. Though his score of 15 against Australia was modest, it was one of the team’s best in that match. Erasmus has a solid record against Oman, with two fifties and 11 wickets, including a best of 3/7, making him a key player to watch.

Oman’s T20 World Cup history is more modest, with just two wins from their six matches in the 2016 and 2021 editions. However, they have shown glimpses of potential, including an upset victory against Ireland in 2016 and a dominant win over Papua New Guinea in 2021.

Captain Aqib Ilyas will be vital for Oman, boasting a batting average of 32.20 and a bowling economy rate of just 5.50 in head-to-head matches against Namibia. His recent warm-up performances, including 3/22 against Uganda and an unbeaten 66 against Afghanistan, highlight his form and importance.

A statistical overview highlights Oman’s strength in their opening partnerships, recording the highest in four of the six head-to-head matches. The average first-innings score in Barbados is 164, rising to 183 for teams winning while batting first.

However, the weather forecast for Bridgetown on Sunday predicts thunderstorms, which might disrupt play and complicate strategies for both teams.

This match is critical for both sides as they face tougher opponents like Scotland, England, and Australia later in their campaigns. For Namibia and Oman, this encounter could be their best chance to secure a vital win and stay in contention for the Super 8s phase.

Squads

Oman: Aqib Ilyas (c), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale, Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi, Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad, Khalid Kail.

Reserves: Jatinder Singh, Samay Shrivastava, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra.

Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger, PD Blignaut.

The match starts at 6 AM IST (Monday).