The ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 has already seen a lot of drama on and off the field. Days after the India-Pakistan dispute ended, new allegations were leveled against tournament co-host BCCI and the defending champions.
Namibia captain criticizes ICC, claims India is getting special treatment in T20 World Cup 2026
Ahead of the Group A match in Delhi on February 12, Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus has sparked a fresh controversy by openly questioning the International Cricket Council (ICC) and suggesting that India is being given special treatment in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
Erasmus raised concerns over training facilities, saying Namibia did not get a night practice session ahead of the match against India on Thursday, while the hosts have reportedly held two night training sessions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Also read: Tilak Verma reveals the inside story of his match-winning innings against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final
The Namibia captain also said that teams like Canada have also been allowed to practice at night, sparking a fresh debate over whether all teams are being treated fairly by the ICC in the T20 World Cup.
Gerhard Erasmus is not happy with ICC
Gerhard Erasmus was quoted by the New Indian Express as saying: “We have not been given night training before this game; I don’t know why. I think there are 2 night trainings in India, and I see there is one night training outside Canada. Make of it what you want, but we will just rock and do our Namibian way, which is to fight.”
We weren’t given night training before this game, I don’t know why. I think in India there is a 2 night training, and I see that outside Canada there is a 1 night training. Make of it what you want, but we will just riot and do our Namibian way, which is to fight. -Namibia captain Erasmus
-Like. Gomesh Ch. கோமேஹி (@SaGomesh) 11 February 2026
Notably, Namibia had a disappointing start to their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, losing their first match against the Netherlands by 7 wickets on February 10 in Delhi. Their remaining group matches are against the United States on February 15 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and Pakistan on February 18 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
India is ready with deep net before Namibia match
Meanwhile, the focus of the Indian cricket team is on its campaign. Following their narrow win over USA in their first Group A match, the Men in Blue conducted a two-hour high-intensity training session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium ahead of their next games against Namibia and Pakistan (15 February).
Also read: Tilak Verma gives important update on Abhishek Sharma before Namibia match
The practice session was intense and very planned. The fast bowlers and spinners trained separately and focused their plans to deal with the potentially slow and difficult pitches in Colombo, where they will face Pakistan in the much-awaited clash on Sunday.
Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah return to the nets
In a major development, Washington Sundar made a comeback into the team after recovering from a side injury and bowled long spells in the nets. Sundar’s return will strengthen the team and India will get more options in bowling.
Sanju Samson, on the other hand, also spent extra time in the nets, batting hard against spin. He focused on improving his technique for slower pitches. There is another boost for the defending champions as Jasprit Bumrah returned to training and bowled at full intensity after missing the first match against the United States due to illness. Bumrah is likely to play against Namibia.
