Cricket Namibia has made a historic move by awarding professional contracts to ten women’s cricketers, marking the first time in the country’s sports history that both men’s and women’s national teams have received contracts. The announcement, made on Tuesday, follows negotiations and signings that took place back in February.

The details of the contracts, including their value, remain undisclosed to the public. However, the significance lies in Cricket Namibia’s commitment to promoting gender equality in sports and supporting the development of women’s cricket.

Cricket Namibia chief executive Johan Muller says…

“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.”

Johan Muller added, “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 ten players who have secured these contracts are Kayleen Green, Sune Wittmann, Arrasta Diergaardt, Edelle van Zyl, Bianca Manuel, Irene van Zyl, Wilka Mwatile, Mekelaye Mwatile, Naomi Benjamin, and Saima Tuhadeleni.

Namibia’s women’s cricket team is making strides in international cricket

Under the banner of “Capricorn Eagles,” the Namibia women’s team has been steadily making progress in international cricket, currently ranked 17th in the ICC Women’s T20I team rankings, which is their highest position achieved so far.

Their recent participation in the African Games saw mixed results, winning only one of their group-stage matches and failing to advance to the semi-finals. Despite this setback, Namibia’s women’s cricket team has been steadily improving since gaining T20I status in 2018.

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Having played a total of 72 international matches, they’ve won 44 of them. Notably, in 2019, they represented the Africa region in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, although they didn’t progress to the main event in 2020. However, with the support of these professional contracts, Namibia’s women cricketers are poised to continue their upward trajectory in the world of cricket.