David Wiese, the talisman of the Namibian cricket team, has retired from international cricket. After Namibia’s third loss in the ongoing T20 World Cup, to England, the all-rounder was seen waving to the crowd and his teammates.
“I mean, [the] next T20 World Cup is still two years away, I’m 39 years old now, so , in terms of international cricket, I don’t know if there’s much left in me,” Wiese said. “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.”
Incidentally, Wiese made his T20I and ODI debuts for South Africa in 2013 and 2015 respectively and represented the Proteas in the 2016 edition of the T20 World Cup wherein South Africa were unable to make it out of the group stage. In 2016, the all-rounder opted for a Kolpak deal and signed a three year contract with Sussex ending his international career with South Africa.
He made his debut for Namibia in the 2021 T20 World Cup and was instrumental in the team qualifying for the Super 12s. He almost single handedly took them into the Super 12s in the 2022 edition as well. Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus too confirmed that it was Wiese’s last game for Namibia in the post match interview.
Career Batting Statistics
| Format | Runs | Innings | Strike Rate | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 330 | 15 | 89.43 | 25.38 |
| T20Is | 624 | 40 | 127.86 | 24.00 |
Career Bowling Statistics
| Format | Wickets | Matches | Economy | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 15 | 15 | 5.58 | 45.13 |
| T20Is | 59 | 54 | 7.19 | 22.02 |