Islamabad
When David Wiese lined up for Namibia against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Monday, it was his second consecutive T20 World Cup. While that in itself is not extraordinary, there is a twist: as he represented South Africa – the country of his birth – last time round.
Speaking to BBC Sport, the 36-year-old revealed how his inclusion in Namibia’s squad came about, discussed the differences between playing for the two African countries and explains the impact he is hoping to have on the future of Namibian cricket.
Born in Roodepoort in Gauteng Province, seam-bowling all-rounder Wiese made his international debut in 2013 and went on to play in six one-day-internationals and 20 Twenty20 internationals for South Africa.
But representing Namibia was always on Wiese’s radar.
“My family comes from Namibia. My dad was born there and I still have family there, so my ties are quite deep,” he says.
“Even before I got selected for South Africa, I’d had conversations with Cricket Namibia.”
Although Wiese played three matches at the 2016 World T20, he failed to cement his place in the side, and then signed a three-year-deal with Sussex under the Kolpak ruling.
