T20 WC: Namibia has inspired kids back in the country to play cricket, says coach De Bruyn
Nov 01, 2021
Abu Dhabi [UAE], November 1 : Namibia coach Pierre de Bruyn said his team has inspired all the young players and kids back in the country with their performances in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Namibia go into the match against Pakistan on Tuesday looking to bounce back after a 62-run defeat against Afghanistan on Sunday.
De Bruyn's side began the Super 12s stage with a memorable victory over Scotland and are now bidding to claim a notable scalp to keep their own semi-final dreams alive.
"What this team, what these players have done in the last couple of weeks to inspire the nation back home and to inspire all the young players and kids in Namibia to play cricket has been enormous," ICC quoted De Bruyn as saying.
"I can't explain how big it is, what this team have achieved in terms of inspiration and getting a lot of young people to play cricket.
"It is a very good Namibian story but I also believe it's been a very good, inspiring cricket story," he added.
Whatever happens in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, de Bruyn has been proud to witness how his players have brought together a nation with their exploits in the tournament so far.
"We're showing as a very small nation with two and a half million people that it can be done. It can be done by really hard work, by really good planning and getting a group of players together and sharing the same vision, sharing the same culture," said De Bruyn.
"I think that is what this story is about. It doesn't matter whether you always have the resources around you. You can make it happen. The last 24 hours [since the Afghanistan match] was a matter of just trying to relax because we know how big this game is and what we're going to face.
"It's important we take the learnings from last night and improve on those points. Tomorrow is going to be a great experience for the players but we need to be 20 per cent better," he signed off.