T20 World Cup: Namibia win toss, opt to bowl against New Zealand

Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus won the toss and opted to bowl against New Zealand in a Super 12 match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, here on Friday.

Namibia, who lost against Pakistan in their last match, were forced to make two changes in the team as Karl Birkenstock and Bernard Scholtz came in place of Jan Frylinck and Ben Shikongo.

"We will bowl first. The pitch looks very good, also we see small dimensions on this field and it is tough to defend. Also not really sure how it is going to play, so put them in first and hopefully we will be able to chase down later. It has been tough but I have got used to playing through it (injury)," said Erasmus at the toss.

"We have two more to go and then I will try to fix it (injured finger) later. It has been a good tournament so far, a lot of good memories and I would want to go one better today. Two forced changes for us," he added.

On the other hand, Kane Williamson-led side New Zealand, who have won their last two matches, remained unchanged for this clash.

"Looks like a typical Sharjah surface. Important we build some partnerships early on, get that platform and put runs on the board. Have had a few niggles but so far so good. Lockie (Ferguson) is also recovering well but it is all part and parcel of the game. The guys are going alright. We have got the same team," said Williamson at the toss.


Playing XI:

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson(c), Devon Conway(w), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.

Namibia: Stephan Baard, Craig Williams, Gerhard Erasmus(c), David Wiese, JJ Smit, Zane Green(w), Michael van Lingen, Karl Birkenstock, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz - IANS