Image Credit- CN
Being the first
sports governing organisation in the nation to have contracts for both its
men’s and women’s national teams, Cricket Namibia has announced professional
contracts for ten women’s cricket players. Although the contracts were
discussed and signed in February, they weren’t made public until Tuesday.
“For the first time, we have been able to professionalise the women’s
game. This is a significant moment for sports in the country. It’s the first
time ladies have been signed on contracts where cricket is their
occupation,” Cricket Namibia chief executive Johan Muller said in
statement published by the ICC. “Ten ladies now have the opportunity to
support their households by pursuing their passion. We want to thank Capricorn
Group [the sponsors of the women’s team] and everyone involved.”
The contracts’ worth
and other specifics have not been disclosed to the public.
The following players have contracts: Wilka Mwatile, Mekelaye Mwatile, Naomi
Benjamin, Saima Tuhadeleni, Edelle van Zyl, Bianca Manuel, Sune Wittmann,
Arrasta Diergaardt, and Irene van Zyl.
The “Capricorn Eagles” of Namibia’s women’s squad are now ranked 17th
in the ICC Women’s T20I team rankings, which is their best spot to date. Their
most recent competition was at the African Games, where they were eliminated
from the semi-finals and only managed to win one game throughout the group
round.
Since receiving T20I status in 2018, Namibia have participated in 72
international matches, winning 44 of them. In 2019, they represented the Africa
region in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier but did not advance to the
main event in 2020.