"I don't know if there's much left in me"- David Wiese retires from international cricket after ENG vs NAM T20 World Cup match
All-rounder David Wiese confirmed that the T20 World Cup encounter against England was his last appearance for Namibia in international cricket. The 39-year-old doesn't see himself playing international cricket with the next T20 World Cup set to be played in 2026.
Wiese claimed that he would still be keen to play competitive cricket for a couple of years. But he felt that the game against the defending T20 World Cup champions was a fitting way for him to end his Namibia career.
David Wiese told the reporters in the post-match press conference:
"Obviously, I [would] still like to play the game for a couple more years, I feel like I've still got a lot to contribute and a lot to play," he said. "But I just feel like what better place to end a special career for me personally with Namibia. I've had a lot of good times with them and to play my last game for them possibly at a World Cup against a world-class team like England, it just seemed like the right time."
Wiese ended his international career in style, scoring 27 runs off just 12 balls in a rain-curtailed game while Namibia were chasing 126 in 10 overs. However, he couldn't get his team over the line as England won by 41 runs (DLS method).
Namibia skipper on David Wiese's influence
David Wiese initially played for South Africa until 2016 when he decided to go the Kolpak way. He then represented Namibia since the 2021 T20 World Cup and skipper Gerhard Erasmus is grateful for the experience and the learnings that the veteran all-rounder brought to their setup.
Here's what Erasmus had to say about Wiese after the game:
"Unfortunately, it was his last game, which is a great moment for him to perform like that in his last game. Massive impact, in terms of the level of cricket he brought to our circle. He's a great guy on the field in terms of performance but off the field he is someone we have really learned a lot from and he's inspired us to new heights and greater heights."
A win over Namibia allowed England to get level on points with Scotland and also have a better net run rate.
Scotland then lost to Australia, thereby paving a way for England to enter into the Super 8 phase.