ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2021

October 30, 2021

Craig Williams

Sheikh Zayed Stadium

Namibia

Media Conference

Q. What was your feeling when you see that Namibia has qualified for the main (indiscernible), and what will be your approach to spread the cricket around New Hampshire?

CRAIG WILLIAMS: So our feelings for getting through to the last round, it's obviously exciting. It's been a long time coming for us. We've been to all the qualifiers before this and have just come short. It's fantastic to be able to get this far.

And for back home, we've had so many messages from supporters and just from everyone. So I think it's just part of inspiring the country. It's been a tough time for Namibia, I think for the whole world. So I think that's just to inspire our country to realize what they can achieve.

Q. Craig, first, you came back from retirement in 2018 to resurrect what had already been a great career for you. What prompted you to return, and how do you reflect on your decision now that Namibia is in Super Twelves?

CRAIG WILLIAMS: I retired for personal reasons, basically just business, work, family, kids, there was a lot more responsibility. So just personal reasons to retire.

I've said it in previous interviews that I think when you retire it's like a dark place. You always have this feeling in your heart that there's more to offer.

When Pierre de Bruyn became head coach, we had a meeting in January 2019. He asked me, Craig, is there a possibility of coming back, returning to assist? It was a very young squad.

I was more than happy to come back. I just felt there was more that I could offer. At that stage I wasn't sure how much I would play. I really wanted to try to help the youngsters. But obviously I haven't had an any injuries and my form has been okay. So it's allowed me to contribute on the field as well.

So reflecting, it's probably the best decision I've ever made. It was a tough decision. At the time I had to leave my work. Unfortunately, the guys -- there was no space to play cricket at that level and give that much commitment to cricket and work.

So it was a very difficult decision to come back. It wasn't easy. But in hindsight I'm really glad that myself and my family made the decision to commit again and play.

Q. In the game against Scotland and Sri Lanka last week Namibian batters showed ability against spin. And Afghanistan have some world-class spinners. How do you assess your chances against them, and what's been the talk in the dressing room?

CRAIG WILLIAMS: Sure, I'll put the vulnerability down to a bit of nerves. We actually play spin very well. Our conditions back home aren't flat wickets. They're quite low and slow. We've done really well in the five series back home before coming to the World Cup against good spin attacks on low, slow wickets. So we've put in really good preparation.

We've put in extreme amounts of analysis into the opposition and we've worked on individual game plans for each of the batsmen. So I think sitting where we are now tonight, we're in a really good place.

Anything could happen in T20 cricket, we know that. We've played Afghanistan, I mean, many, many times in the past. We know what they can do. So it's just about on the day being able to handle our nerves and execute the plans to put in place.

So in terms of playing spin, we're extremely confident against spin. It's just a matter of being able to execute your plan on the day against the best in the world because that's who we're playing against.

Q. You've had so much experience playing for Namibia, and I believe you are part of the early generation of players who sort of had exposure playing in the England league Lancashire league, back in the day. And now to see people like JJ Smit perform so well and also Garik (indiscernible) global T20 Canada, stuff like that. How pleasing is it to see your teammates get this exposure?

CRAIG WILLIAMS: A tournament like this, especially to make it to the last 12, the exposure for our guys is fantastic. At the end of the day, we want to see our youngsters and our best players playing around the world because they now bring that exposure, that experience that they've gained back into our squad and they can teach our youngsters.

Just having, for example, David Wiese, he's played around the world. The amount of experience he's brought back into our change room, the lessons that he's teaching us about how to handle pressure and how to handle playing against the best is just fantastic.

We are hoping that with the last few games that some of our guys in the squad could obviously show themselves on the world stage and hopefully pick up some deals around the world.

It would be fantastic if we can get the likes of Gerhard Erasmus and JJ and Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz, all these guys playing around the world. Still looking for our first Namibian to play in the IPL.

So hopefully after this tournament we can get one of those deals on the table. It would be fantastic for us.

Q. What was your feeling when you played World Cup after (indiscernible). How did you feel that time?

CRAIG WILLIAMS: I think from when I can remember, six, seven years old the dream was to play international cricket, let alone play in the World Cup.

It's a dream come true. It's been a lot of hard work. A lot of disappointment. Only associate teams will be able to associate to the feeling of just not qualifying the whole time. I went to Namibia in 2007 and from then we haven't qualified up until 2021. It's been 14 years of heartbreak every year to get to this position.

So it just shows how tough the competition is. But my feeling, I'm just glad at my age, 37, that I could experience this.

I'm an extremely proud, proud Namibian that the country can see this, just see what we can achieve as such a small population. That's inspiring for our kids to know that if you work hard, that one day you could be sitting here where we're sitting now represent your country. It's a fantastic feeling.

Probably only hit home a few weeks after the tournament ends when you can sit down in your own time and reflect. It's fantastic being part of this event and playing against the best in the world. It's brilliant.

Q. You said you moved for the game, your family and your business. Could you give a brief rundown what your business was like and your life was like during that period when you were away from the game?

CRAIG WILLIAMS: I'm a (indiscernible) surveyor by profession. And we do -- I do a lot of insurance, loss adjusting. That's actually my main job. I say I'm looking for someone to prove me wrong, but I think I'm the only person playing in the World Cup who goes home at night and does report writing for insurance companies back home.

That's one of the things I do. And I've got an indoor cricket centre back home with a cricket shop. I have junior academy under nine to under 19. That's another thing we do.

There's a whole lot of things that I do back home business-wise to keep me going. Playing cricket for the Namibian national team is just a bonus.

It's something that -- it's just basically a niche. I wouldn't call it a hobby because I feel we're professionals, but I think that's why I'm enjoying it so much, is that I don't rely on it 100 percent. I've got other things that keep me busy.

It is tough having all these different things on the sideline on the go. Being away from home for two months, it's not easy but it's a great experience. It's the life of an associate cricket player, I suppose.