last update
Nov 01, 2021, 11:00 am
There have been many players in cricket who have played for two countries at the international level. Former South African player David Wije’s name has also been added to this list. David is currently playing the T20 World Cup for Namibia after playing for South Africa.
Newsbytes has an exclusive conversation with the Namibian star all-rounder, who made a winning debut in Super-12, on her career, Kolpak deal and many more.
international cricket
There was no hope of playing international cricket again after signing the Kolpak deal: David
David signed a Kolpak deal in 2017 and his career for South Africa ended after that.
He said, “After signing the Kolpak deal, I did not think that I would ever be able to play international cricket again. However, after the deal with Sussex ended, Namibia approached me. My father is from there so I am eligible to play for him. I am grateful to Namibian Cricket for this opportunity.”
Kolpak deal profitable or a loss?
According to David, if the Kolpak deal is signed after a certain time, it can be a boon for the players.
“It was a great decision for me to sign Kolpak as it has improved my game a lot. However, if a player signs Kolpak at a young age, it is a bit different. If you don’t get opportunities in South Africa, you are out You can go and gain experience.”
Do you know?
What is Kolpak Deal?
A player who signs the Kolpak deal does not qualify as a foreign player on county teams. The player’s international career ends when such a deal is signed. He can play international cricket again after the Kolpak deal expires.
IPL is different and bigger than all T20 leagues in the world- David
According to David, who has played in all T20 leagues around the world, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the biggest T20 league in the world.
He said, “The players and coaches who take part in IPL are the best in the world. IPL has its own window and it has the best players from all over the world. A young player can learn a lot just by being a part of the team. Is.”
David said – youth will get inspiration to succeed even after living in Namibia
David said that the way our team has made it to the Super-12 of the T20 World Cup with very little resources, it will give a lot of inspiration to the youth.
“The youth will now be confident that they do not have to travel outside Namibia to be successful. Now they can dream that they can play the World Cup while still playing for Namibia,” he said.
David’s full focus on the development of Namibian cricket
Regarding future plans, David said, “Now I am not going to return there. I will not even play domestic cricket for South Africa. My whole focus is on Namibian cricket. I want Namibian cricket to develop. “
I regret not being able to play Test cricket: David
David regrets not being able to play Test cricket despite playing more than 100 first-class matches.
He said, “A cricketer considers playing Test to be the biggest achievement of his career. I also would have loved to play Test cricket. Although to be honest, I could never even come close to playing Test. Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel and Ryan In the presence of players like McLaren, I just couldn’t take my place.”
Namibia Debut
It was a bit strange to debut for Namibia at the age of 36 – David
David said that it was a bit strange for him to debut for Namibia at the age of 36, but the people here are so nice that it became very easy for him.
“I’ve played a lot of cricket with Namibia’s head coach Pierre de Bruyne and assistant coach Albie Morkel. These guys even offered me to come to Namibia. Having familiar people makes things a lot easier,” he said.
ODI Status
Namibian cricket got new life by getting ODI team status in 2019 – David
David said that the status of ODI team in 2019 has given new life to Namibian cricket as the team is now getting more funding.
“Earlier Namibia had only three contracted players, but after getting ODI status, their number has increased to 16. Now the players are fully professional and they do not need to take another job with cricket. ”