Gary Kirsten appointed consultant for Namibia men’s team

New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) World Cup winning former India head coach Gary Kirsten has been appointed consultant for Namibia’s men’s national teams and will work alongside head coach Craig Williams in the build-up to next year's T20 World Cup.

The global showpiece is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026.

"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." A former South Africa opener, Kirsten took to coaching after retiring in 2004 and was appointed India’s head coach in 2007. 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. 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 [men's national team] setup." Namibia have qualified for each of the last three T20 World Cups in 2021, 2022 and 2024 and are also in contention for the upcoming edition. They will be one of the three host nations for the 2026 tournament along with South Africa and Zimbabwe. PTI ATK KHS