International Cricket Council (ICC) chair Jay Shah met with leaders of the Africa Cricket Association in Windhoek and emphasised the ICC’s commitment to expanding cricket across Africa.
He expressed his delight at watching future stars in action during an Under-19 World Cup match at Cricket Namibia’s newly developed NCG venue. “A productive day in Windhoek meeting with cricket leaders from the Africa Cricket Association as @ICC looks to grow and support the sport across the continent. I also enjoyed seeing future stars of the game at the #U19worldcup match at @CricketNamibia1’s terrific new NCG venue,” Jay Shah shared on X.
Namibia is splitting hosting duties with Zimbabwe for the ongoing U-19 World Cup, with both countries hosting 12 group-stage matches each.
In Namibia, matches are being played at the new Namibia Cricket Ground and the HP Oval, both located in Windhoek. In Zimbabwe, the venues include Queens Sports Club, Harare Sports Club, and Takashinga Sports Club in Harare.
Last year, Namibia hosted the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Windhoek from August 31 to September 6, bringing together eight countries competing for two coveted spots at the Global Qualifier for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Namibia’s national men’s team made history last year by hosting South Africa for a historic one-off T20. This match not only saw Namibia inaugurate the new Namibia Cricket ground but also faced their neighbours, South Africa, for the first time in any international format, securing a narrow victory by four wickets.
The FNB NCG made history by hosting matches in the 2026 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup and is set to host the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, marking Namibia’s first time hosting World Cup games.