ICC says Namibia’s request for a night training session was made too late to change the pre-allotted schedule

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Less than 24 hours after losing their opening match of the 2026 T20 World Cup to the Netherlands, Namibia returned to the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi to prepare for what is arguably their biggest fixture of the tournament — a clash against hosts India on Thursday. However, their preparations raised eyebrows as Namibia were scheduled to train in the afternoon, despite the match against India being a night game under floodlights.

The situation became more frustrating for Namibia when they noticed Canada beginning a training session under lights alongside India, just as the Namibian players were wrapping up their own practice. This was particularly surprising given that Canada are set to play UAE in Delhi only on Friday, not on the same day as India.

Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus described the situation as a missed opportunity, especially considering the lack of floodlit facilities back home. “We haven’t got any lights in Namibia,” Erasmus said on the eve of the match. “Infrastructure-wise, that’s probably our biggest challenge. It’s not a casual thing for us. Outside of players who’ve featured in leagues like the Nepal Premier League, ILT20 or previous World Cups, we don’t get used to training or playing under lights very often.”

Erasmus also pointed out the contrast in preparation opportunities. “We haven’t been given night training before this game. I don’t know why. India have had two night sessions, and now Canada are having one as well. So make of that what you want. We’ll just turn up and do it our Namibian way — which is to fight,” he said.

The ICC, however, clarified that all teams were informed of their training schedules well in advance and that Namibia’s request came too late to be accommodated. “All teams were provided with training schedules on January 27 and 28 and were invited to share queries or comments,” an ICC spokesperson said. “Requests for changes were accommodated wherever possible, taking into account available slots, teams playing upcoming matches, and other cricketing considerations.”

The spokesperson added that several teams, including Afghanistan, England, Scotland and Ireland, had their training sessions amended during the tournament. “However, Namibia’s request was received only the previous night, by which time all available training slots had already been allocated. As a result, the request could not be accommodated,” the ICC said.

Interestingly, Namibia head coach Craig Williams had earlier indicated that his side was expecting a night training session ahead of the India game. Following the loss to the Netherlands, Williams spoke about the importance of preparing under lights. “We’ve got a night session planned,” he had said. “Playing under lights is always tough for us because we don’t do it often. Preparing under lights against India would have helped put the players in the best possible mental and tactical space.”

With limited exposure to floodlit conditions, Namibia now face an added challenge as they take on India under lights in Delhi, hoping resilience and adaptability can make up for the lack of ideal preparation.