Gary Kirsten appointed as consultant for the Namibia cricket team
Kirsten famously guided India to the 2011 ODI World Cup
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Former Cricket World Cup winning head coach with India, Gary Kirsten has been appointed as a consultant for the Namibian men’s national team.
He will be working alongside head coach Craig Williams in the build-up to next year's ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
The global showpiece, featuring 20 teams, is scheduled to be held from February to March.
"It is indeed a privilege to work with Cricket Namibia. I have been thoroughly impressed with the dedication and determination to create a high-performance cricket environment," Kirsten said in a Cricket Namibia statement.
"Their new state-of-the-art cricket stadium is a testament to their commitment to making sure their national teams are competing with the best cricket countries in the world.
"Their senior men's national team is performing well, and I look forward to adding value to their preparation for the T20 World Cup in February next year."
New Chapter In Kirsten's Coaching Career
The former South Africa opener took to coaching after retiring in 2004 and was appointed India’s head coach in 2007, following the pre-mature exit from that year's 50-over World Cup.
Under his tenure, India famously won the 2011 ODI World Cup.
He later served as head coach of South Africa and has worked with several teams in T20 franchise leagues around the world. He has been a part of the of several IPL teams like the Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Most recently, Kirsten had a brief stint as head coach of Pakistan’s men’s team in 2024.
"Kirsten's appointment as consultant reflects Cricket Namibia's commitment to strengthening its high-performance environment and supporting the existing coaching structure," a statement from the board said.
"His blend of international playing experience, coaching success, and passion for player development brings valuable insight and added depth to the Eagles setup."
Namibia have qualified for each of the last three T20 World Cups in 2021, 2022 and 2024. They earned qualification for the next edition earlier this year through the African qualifiers.
Qualified Teams For ICC T20 World Cup 2026
India, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Namibia, Nepal, USA, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Netherlands, Oman, UAE, Italy, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Groups
Group A: Pakistan, India, USA, Netherlands and Namibia
Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Oman, Ireland and Zimbabwe
Group C: England, Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal and West Indies
Group D: South Africa, UAE, Canada, Afghanistan and New Zealand
