Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus says he is similar to Ravichandran Ashwin: 'Like me, he's also a thinker of the game'
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus said he is similar to Ravichandran Ashwin as both of them are thinkers of the game.
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus enjoyed a stellar 2024, and as a result, has been awarded by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The all-rounder was recently named Men's Associate Player of the Year and received the award from ICC chairman Jay Shah on Sunday. Erasmus scored eight half-centuries in the white-ball formats, delivering frequently with the bat.
Most of Erasmus' commendable knocks came when Namibia felt the heat and were under pressure. Besides impressing with the bat, Erasmus was a constant threat with the ball as well. He rang in 2024 with a bang by taking a five-wicket haul against Nepal in Kirtipur. Erasmus has won the Men's Associate Player of the Year award twice, and the 29-year-old couldn't be more elated.
"Yeah, very special. And to have met Mr. Jay Shah was also a very special moment. It's the second time I won it, but I think that makes it even more special because, after winning it once, you could maybe think you've achieved something and then sort of become a bit relaxed. But I think it's been hard work to improve my game," Erasmus told Hindustan Times.
"I think last year, there was also a lot on the bowling front that I competed statistically with other players. So, that was very rewarding to see. It was a nice feeling to have put my head to it to make my bowling, become a proper all-rounder and make my bowling as good as my batting, at least in a T20 format. That certainly happened as well," added the 29-year-old, currently playing for Gulf Giants in the ILT20.
In 2024, Erasmus scored 364 runs at an average of 33.09 and took 18 wickets at 22.38 in his 12 ODI matches. In the shortest format, he registered 363 runs at an average of 33.00 and took 18 wickets at 13.61 in 13 matches. The right-handed batter looks up to AB de Villiers when it comes to batting. Erasmus, who is an off-spinner, is also an ardent fan of Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024.
"I think I'd say that in terms of batting, I've looked at AB de Villiers, those kinds of guys. In terms of bowling, because I'm an off-spinner and I've looked at a lot like R Ashwin. Yeah, I think he's also, like me, a thinker of the game, and we like to analyse stuff a little bit and we like to become better and better at our skills by trying new things and looking at the game of cricket in a few different angles. So, those two names I can mention," said Erasmus.
'Rise of Namibia Cricket'
Erasmus, who led Namibia in the last three T20 World Cups, in 2021, 2022, and 2024, also spoke highly of the rise of cricket in Namibia and how he sees the sport's growth. Namibia's most famous result in the T20 World Cup came in 2022, when Erasmus and his team stunned Sri Lanka, Down Under.
"It's been obviously a very special three years or so journey that we've had with this group of players. Our challenge will always be to find more and more players to compete in the squad and get a bit of squad depth. That's going to be Cricket Namibia's challenge over the next four years or so. Yeah, there's definitely talented players coming through. But I think the associate world is earmarked, in a sense, by the amount of expatriate players that play in other countries from destinations from the likes of South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan," said Erasmus.
"All the other teams around us are playing mostly with players from those countries. Unfortunately, our governmental laws don't allow us to play without a passport. So that makes it tough for us to stay on that level in terms of player depth and selection pool of players that we can choose from. The other teams are obviously just getting cricketers all the time, and we're sort of fighting to stay in check with that," he added.
The Namibia captain reckons associate teams playing more matches against bigger teams will eventually make the World Cup more competitive. "If the game is very serious about spreading all across the globe, I think it's something that's non-negotiable. I understand it's obviously more of a monetary thing as well. There's always finance aspect behind those things, but I think if a long-term view is taken, then it financially still makes sense to grow the game."
There is an ongoing debate in cricketing circles, with many expressing concerns that the growing prominence of T20 leagues is diminishing the significance of international cricket. However, the Namibia captain could not be more grateful for these leagues as they give players from associate nations a chance to go toe-to-toe with the big international names.
"It's often tough for us from associate countries to get to the World Cup, and then the level is one step higher. The bowlers are more skilled, more professional, I guess. Consistency is just up there. They're very much smarter. It's definitely a matter of bridging the gap between the levels in cricket. And if this is the only chance you can get to replicate in between World Cups, then it's definitely something we can take from these leagues," he said.
"Yeah, it's tough to replicate the level of cricket in nets or in a situation that you try and do yourself in training. You have to go out there and feel the level of cricket and the level of players that is at the top of the world. If you're facing them all the time, you get used to it in a physical sense. And then, I guess, you just get sucked into a higher level of cricket," he added.
Lastly, Erasmus also spoke about the rising popularity of ILT20 and how the league in the UAE is different from other leagues in the world. "It's one of the most competitive leagues in terms of the quality of players that's out there. With the amount of international players in the squads and in the starting 11s, it's almost like a World Cup standard because players from all over the world, the best players are in a team and at any given time when you're batting, that just doesn't feel like there's going to be a weak spot in the opposition's bowling line-up."
"I think in terms of competitiveness and in terms of quality, I think it's obviously the main standout about this tournament. We've (Gulf Giants) had two very, very successful years. And this one started off a little bit slower. So, if your standards are very high, then you would say it's definitely like a mixed bag. But we're on the right track now. We're gaining momentum," he concluded.
