Weekly Talent Spotlight #3: Gerhard Erasmus
What does the future hold for this gritty captain and batsman from an emerging team?
DISCLAIMER: THIS WEEKLY TALENT SPOTLIGHT EDITION IS FOR THE WEEK OF 15th OCTOBER-22ND OCTOBER.
Roots and Personal Life:
Gerhard, much like his other peers has said that he was inspired by watching the Namibian national team rub shoulders with established countries in the 2003 ODI World Cup. His family runs a law firm in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and he is a law graduate himself from the University of Stellebosch. However, his family is also involved in cricket- his father Francois Erasmus was a former ICC Associate board representative and chairman of Namibia Cricket.
Career:
He debuted at the senior level in a match against MCC at the age of 15, in 2011. His first class and international debut was against Ireland in the Intercontinental Cup, which was rather eventful. He had scores of 20 and 1, and Ireland won comfortably. Thus, he became the youngest player to represent Namibia. He had also played in the CSA 3 day competition in his early years.
He was selected in the U19 squad for the 2012 U19 World Cup and was also the captain of their U19 team in 2014 U19 WC. He was also a part of the squad for the 2012 WT20 Qualifier.
He was touted as the next big thing in Namibian cricket but he failed to fulfill his potential until the World Cricket League Division 2 tournament in 2015 where he scored over 200 runs across 6 matches, helping Namibia finish as runners up. He also had impressive performances in the WCL Division 2 2018, especially his assured 63* against Oman when his team had lost 7 wickets in 15.5 overs. However, despite all his efforts, Namibia failed to qualify for the ODI WC Qualifier.
Rise as Namibia's Star Performer:
He was appointed as the captain for the 2019 WCL Division. He led them to the finals and they finished as champions. His most telling contribution with the bat was a 92 against USA, which they lost by a wafer-thin margin of 2 runs. But importantly, they gained ODI status and qualified for the 2019-23 Cricket World Cup League 2.
He came into his own in the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier, where he was named the man of the tournament. He was the second highest run scorer with 3 fifties at an average of 37 and SR of 137. Namibia finished 4th after the playoffs and qualified for the 2021 T20 WC for the first time in their entire history. Gerhard thus had etched his name in the annals of Namibian Cricket History, through his match winning performances against Kenya and Singapore.
Technique and Playing Style:
He has a solid technique with strong fundamentals. He has a long stride since he's tall. His high backlift and batswing generate plenty of power. He has a stable base with braced back knee while hitting. His long levers give him a good reach and plenty of power. The cut shot seems to be his go-to against shorter lengths. He has a penchant for unorthodox shots like reverse sweeps and scoops, presumably inspired from his idol AB de Villiers. When 6 runs were needed off the last over, he hit a scoop in the 2018 WCL Div 2 match against Oman.
He is hailed as one of the best players of spin among Associate batsmen. He can either drop anchor as he has done so far in the T20 WC, but he has the gears to accelerate as he has shown in the past, especially in the T20 WC Qualifier. All of his fifties were at a high strike rate, including his 51(34) in the 3rd place playoff. He showed his brutal hitting prowess against Singapore where he hit four consecutive sixes enroute a 72(46). His class was also visible in his fifty against Ireland, where he came down the pitch often and ran many doubles on a slow and low Sharjah pitch. This proved to be an effective counter and gave them their first win against a Full Member.
He also bowls handy part time offspin.
Why is he selected for Weekly Talent Spotlight?
His assured innings against Ireland and Netherlands in the first round of the T20 World Cup were pivotal in him being nominated as for Weekly Talent Spotlight. The Namibian team's struggles are well-documented and their limitations regarding infrastructure have been covered. Their coach Pierre de Bruyn buys them snacks during breaks. They have only about 5 or 6 pitches in the whole country and it was only 2 years ago that they gave out contracts to 16 players. Several players including Erasmus and Craig Williams have other professions since their cricket career is uncertain. In fact, as revealed by Albie Morkel, Erasmus has been persevering despite a finger injury that requires surgery. His emotions after their victory against Ireland show how much the game matters to him. Further performances against heavyweight teams could help this lion hearted player reach the next level.
Sources:
ESPNcricinfo, Peter Della Penna
BBC
icc-cricket.com
EmergingCricket.com
The Namibian
Freddie Wilde on Twitter