Cricket Namibia Awards Maiden Central Contracts to Women’s Team

In a groundbreaking move, Cricket Namibia announced on Tuesday, 26 March, that 10 professional contracts have been awarded to the women’s team, the Capricorn Eagles. These contracts, which were negotiated and signed in February 2024, were officially announced at a ceremony held at the Namibia Cricket Ground.

This development positions Cricket Namibia as the first sports organization in the country to offer central contracts to both its men’s and women’s national teams.

Contracted Players:

Kayleen Green, Sune Wittmann, Arrasta Diergaardt, Edelle van Zyl, Bianca Manuel, Irene van Zyl, Wilka Mwatile, Mekelaye Mwatile, Naomi Benjamin, and Saima Tuhadeleni.

Johan Muller, CEO of Cricket Namibia, expressed his delight at the announcement: “For the first time, we have been able to professionalize the women’s game. This is a significant moment for sports in the country. It’s the first time ladies have been signed on contracts where cricket is their occupation.”

“Ten ladies now have the opportunity to support their households by pursuing their passion. We want to thank Capricorn Group and everyone involved.”

The Capricorn Eagles currently hold the 17th position in the ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings, their highest ranking to date.

Since receiving T20I status from the ICC in 2018, Namibia has participated in 72 T20I matches, winning 44 of them. In 2019, they represented the Africa region in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier but did not advance to the main event in 2020.