Justin kemp

T20 World Cup Group: Senior all-rounder JJ Smit said Gary Kirsten's calming presence and subcontinental expertise as Namibia’s consultant coach have been invaluable for the side as they prepare to open their 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup Group A campaign against the Netherlands at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.

The former South Africa opener, who coached India to the 2011 ODI World Cup title on home soil, has joined Namibia as a consultant for the ongoing T20 World Cup. Kirsten has already made a huge impression on the Namibian team through his wealth of knowledge ahead of their fourth consecutive T20 World Cup appearance.

"He's just so calm. A very calm human being and he’s very quiet. But in team meetings and warm-up stuff, when he speaks, there's just a lot of knowledge coming out. Just his calmness. When I bowled a day after the warm-up game against Namibia, we trained for a super over. When we bowled, he came up to me and smiled.