Everyone was taken aback by David Wiese’s flawless performances for Namibia at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
In the opening Super Over of the most recent edition, Namibia defeated Oman with his help. Wiese hails from South Africa, but in 2016 he moved to Kolpak and underwent a five-year grind before being featured for Namibia. On June 16, 2024, the standout player declared his retirement. He was called up to the Namibian team for the T20 World Cup 2021, where he made his debut.
In his few white-ball cricket matches for Namibia, the all-rounder has been very impressive. During his 34 T20I matches, he scored 532 runs and claimed 35 wickets for Namibia. He took six wickets and scored 228 runs in his meagre nine-game ODI career. He claimed that his advanced age was a big factor in ending his illustrious career when he announced his retirement.
“I don’t know if I have much left in me in terms of playing international cricket, as the next T20 World Cup is still two years away and I’m 39 years old. I feel like I still have a lot to give and a lot to play, so of course I [would] still like to play the game for a few more years,” Wiese stated, per ESPNcricinfo.
However, I believe there is no better place for me to complete a particularly meaningful career than Namibia. I’ve had a lot of fun with them, so it seemed fitting to play my final match for them at a World Cup, maybe against a top-tier team like England,” he continued.
In terms of performance, he’s a fantastic guy on the pitch: Erasmus
Still, Wiese will play cricket for his franchise. He has participated in leagues like the Blast, The Hundred, SA20, PSL, and CSA T20 Challenge. Regarding his recent progress with his franchise, the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred have kept him around. Gerhard Erasmus, the captain of Namibia, joked that Wiese had a significant influence while discussing his behaviour both on and off the pitch.
Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: England vs Namibia, 34th Match – Who Said What?
Significant influence, concerning the calibre of cricket he offered to our group. “Off the pitch, he is someone we have really learned a lot from and he has inspired us to new and greater heights,” Erasmus said. “On the pitch, he’s a great guy in terms of performance.”
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