Cricket Namibia and Lahore Qalandars out to build burgeoning partnership

Lahore Qalandars' tour of Namibia came to an end on Friday, following the culmination of the inaugural Global T20 Namibia and two 50-over matches between the Pakistan Super League franchise and Namibia's men's national development team, Richelieu Eagles.

Richelieu Eagles were victorious in each of the 50-over outings, which came hot on the heels of the Global T20 Namibia that saw South Africa outfit DP World Lions beat Lahore Qalandars in the final.

The tour was the latest strengthening of ties between the Lahori franchise and Cricket Namibia, which started with Namibia all-rounder David Wiese's starring role in the Qalandars claiming a first PSL title earlier this year.

Cricket Namibia and Lahore Qalandars then facilitated the visit of four Namibians - Shaun Fouche, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Mauritius Ngupita and Helao Ya France - to the latter's High-Performance Center, where they trained alongside Qalandars players and under the guidance of their coaches at the beginning of August.

The Qalandars then took their development side to compete in the inaugural Global T20 Namibia, with the two 50-over matches providing yet more invaluable experience for both teams.

"We view our relationship with Lahore Qalandars as a long-term partnership and value their support immensely," said Cricket Namibia CEO, Johan Muller.

"Not only do we hope that they return to take part in the Global T20 Namibia next year, but we're also determined to strengthen our relationship with one of the best T20 franchises in the world. By sharing our knowledge, by providing even greater opportunities for our players, and by spreading our respective fanbases into new corners of the world, our relationship can add great value to both parties.

"I want to thank [Lahore Qalandars COO] Sameen Rana for his positive mindset towards this tournament. He has opened the pathway for our two countries to create even more opportunities for players to grow and develop. We have a lot of respect for the cricket depth and talent in Pakistan and what they have achieved on international stage. The first Global Namibia Series definitely achieved more than we could ever imagine.”

The two teams united ahead of the first 50-over encounter in a moment's silence before the start of play as they remembered the victims of the devastating floods in Pakistan that have left more than 1,200 people dead and swathes of the country under water.

It was a powerful moment at Windhoek's Wanderers Cricket Ground and highlighted the bond shared by Cricket Namibia and Lahore Qalandars.

Rana added: "We wanted to pay tribute to our countrymen ahead of the game and were moved by Cricket Namibia's support at this incredibly difficult time for us all. Our supporters already had a deep affection for Namibia thanks to David Wiese's efforts with us over the past four seasons. He's someone who has become an integral part of the Qalandars family and his contribution both on and off the field has been extremely impressive.

"I'm sure the Lahore Qalandars family will only have more passion for the nation of Namibia after Cricket Namibia's heart-warming show of compassion and also by placing their trust in us to help their players' development in Lahore. We're incredibly excited to continue building on our relationship with Cricket Namibia and to reap the multitude of benefits that this partnership has to offer."

The Global T20 Namibia aims to aid player and talent development by bringing teams together from all over the world. It will return in 2023 and has an initial three-year agreement in place that secures its future on the international calendar.

The inaugural edition served Namibia's preparations for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign and kicked-off an exciting period for cricket in the country, which will see the country co-host the 2027 ICC Men's World Cup alongside neighbours South Africa and Zimbabwe.

It also provided Lahore Qalandars' development players with crucial experience of matches and conditions outside of Pakistan, with captain Hamza Nazar describing the tour as "a million-dollar opportunity".

"This was one of the best cricket experiences we have had in many ways," said Nazar. "It's a million-dollar opportunity for me and for the team overall to come here to Windhoek and play in competitive overseas conditions.

"I'm very grateful to Lahore Qalandars for providing this chance as no franchise otherwise is generous enough to create such opportunities. I'm also thankful to Cricket Namibia for arranging this tournament which helped both of us. We will go back home as an improved cricketers with a lot of good memories."