Through the eyes of Namibia's globe-trotting eagle: The David Wiese journey

Namibia is often called a conservation haven. There are a variety of eagles who call the African country their home, and being a relatively territorial species, leaving their abode is uncommon.

There's a band of eagles that has been making waves in international cricket, though, and among them, there's one who made a few trips around the world before finding his happy place. David Wiese might still live in Pretoria, South Africa, but his heart, as well as his obvious talents, are currently with the Namibian cricket team.

Wiese is also one of the few Namibian stars who has the privilege of franchise contracts with just about any team in just about any league. He'll have an enviable collection of jerseys by the time he's done, and an even more enviable collection of stamps on his passport(s).

So many, in fact, that Wiese is the perfect person to talk about franchise cricket around the world, something he does regularly on his Hitman for Hire podcast. He also has a lot to say about his cricketing experiences over the years, as he does in extensive detail during an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda.

How did it all begin? What was it like to represent South Africa and then sign a Kolpak deal in England? How did the shift to Namibia happen? Where is international cricket headed?

Wiese elaborates on these topics, and a lot more:

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The start, back in South Africa, all those years ago

It might be hard to believe, but David Wiese wasn't always a tattooed, long-haired veteran of the game.

In a trope that isn't too common among cricketers from the better-developed countries, Wiese's parents took a cautious approach while encouraging his interests in cricket. He didn't break through early, failing to represent South Africa at the U19 levels and barely playing for his provincial side, so they wanted him to have a failsafe.

“It wasn’t an issue, as such," Wiese says. "They always knew I wanted to play cricket, but they also knew it’s a difficult career path and that not a lot of people make it. My dad comes from a financial background, so he understands having to take care of your family and all of that. As soon as I finished school, I wanted to go play club cricket in the UK after taking a gap year. But they insisted I first need to go to university and get a degree under my name. They said they’ll support me once I do that, just to make sure that I have a backup option.”

“It’s because of their support that I’ve been able to do what I’ve done. We came from a small town, so we had to drive to the big cities to attend coaching camps and things like that. My dad, having his Namibian background, is just as proud of me now as he was when I played for South Africa,” he continues.

Wiese took some time to develop into a cricketer who could make an impact at the international level and was 28 by the time he was handed his maiden South Africa cap. While his stint with the side cannot be labeled a resounding success, he is more than content with the way things turned out.

“I’m really grateful for the career I had with South Africa," Wiese states. "I got to play 26 games for my country and a World Cup as well. My numbers weren’t as good as I’d have liked them to be, but I wasn’t the player I am now back then. I had to go to other places to evolve and become the player I am now. People ask me if I regret it, but the simple answer is no. I don’t feel like I’d have become a better player than I am now, had I stayed. I look back with fond memories, I don’t think I did too badly.”

Wiese broke through as a T20I player and currently has the third-best bowling figures by a South African in the format. However, even though the Proteas were in desperate need of a pace-bowling all-rounder in the lead-up to the 2015 World Cup, he didn't spend enough time in the setup to seriously contend for that role.

It didn't work out for South Africa at the marquee ICC event. AB de Villiers is one of their greatest ever, but he definitely shouldn't have been sharing fifth-bowler duties in a World Cup semifinal. A half-fit Vernon Philander and an assortment of part-time options witnessed New Zealand knock them out in heartbreaking fashion.

The writing was on the wall for Wiese at that point. He couldn't nail down a spot in ODIs, and while he was always in the T20I picture, the format's calendar didn't look too promising. It was only natural for him to look at other options, and he ventured down a well-trodden path - signing a Kolpak deal and putting his South African career on an indefinite hold.

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"If I hadn't gone there, I'd have been retired by now" - David Wiese on his time in England

Faf du Plessis once mentioned that he stood to earn anywhere between eight and ten times more from a Kolpak deal than he would have from playing domestic cricket in South Africa. Many cricketers have made the jump to the England circuit, with money serving as a principal factor at times.

For Wiese, it was a mixed bag. Not only did he weigh up the financial implications of a Kolpak offer, but he also understood that he needed the change of scenery to further evolve as a cricketer.

"The year before I signed for Sussex, I played for them as an overseas player and enjoyed the setup. I enjoyed everything about it, and I was in limbo in South Africa. I had been left out of the ODI squad, and I felt like the door might be shutting. Without much T20 cricket in the next two years, when I got the opportunity, I was open," Wiese recollects.

"There was a financial implication to it - I was looking to start a family, and so on. I didn’t feel like my cricket was in a place where I was improving. I saw it as a challenge, playing all formats in different conditions. If I hadn’t gone there, I’d have been retired by now. It was about reinventing myself and bettering myself, something I might not have had the opportunity to do in South Africa,” he adds.

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The Albie Morkel text that revived David Wiese's international career

Albie Morkel played a big role in Namibia's rise

Even before Wiese made his debut for South Africa, there was talk about him representing Namibia, the country of his father. He already had a Namibian passport and other relevant documents, but the thought never crossed his mind even while he was a Kolpak-contracted player.

Then, a text from Wiese's former Titans teammate Albie Morkel set the ball rolling for an unexpected international comeback. Morkel, who was part of the Namibian coaching staff, explained the situation to the all-rounder, who was delighted to add his experience to a team filled with players who hadn't had much more than a brief taste of international cricket.

“Honestly, it was an easy decision," Wiese says. "When I signed Kolpak, I was resigned to the fact that my international career was over. I never thought it would happen again. But then, things changed, and Brexit happened, and the Kolpak contracts dissolved. I became eligible again, but the thought never crossed my mind."

"Albie Morkel, who I had played with for years at the Titans, sent me a message asking if I was interested in getting my international career back on track. I had no idea what he meant, since I didn’t even know he was involved with Namibia. He said to me that Namibia have ODI status and just qualified for the T20 World Cup. As soon as he said that, something clicked in me. It was a great opportunity for me, and I said ‘count me in!’ immediately,” he adds.

Since then, Namibia have made rapid strides and have stood out in tournaments like the T20 World Cup despite their players being new to the level. The Eagles beat Sri Lanka soon after the island nation became the Asia Cup champions and hold enviable records against Ireland and Zimbabwe.

Wiese in action: New Zealand v Namibia - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021

However, franchise deals have been hard to come by for most of the team's players, perhaps due to the "Associate" tag next to their names. Wiese is perhaps the only one who regularly features in the world's biggest T20 competitions, although others like Gerhard Erasmus and Muhammad Waseem are slowly but surely throwing their hats in the ring.

Wiese is cognizant of that fact and firmly believes Namibia and its players deserve a chance to showcase their wares on bigger stages, on the back of plenty of notable performances. He has some other ideas to grow the game, too.

“We’ve beaten Test nations. We’ve beaten Zimbabwe. We’ve beaten Ireland. We’ve beaten Sri Lanka," Wiese defiantly states. "I feel that validates us to get to play against other teams and see what we can do. There are certain leagues that need to have a certain amount of Associate players per team. Those small opportunities are nice for the guys, but that needs to happen more often."

"If the ICC is serious about growing the Associate game, why not say every single franchise tournament has to have at least two players in the squad? They’ll be mingling with the players, learning from those coaches - it’ll benefit their game. Or an extra Associate player as a local player. There needs to be a bit more incentive for the teams to sign the overseas players.”

There are some positive signs, though. The 2024 T20 World Cup will feature 20 teams, a welcome increase from the previous number of 16. Namibia have been placed in a group alongside Australia and England, and qualification won't be easy.

“It’s almost like they’ve said to us, ‘We’re gonna give you England and Australia, so it’s gonna be tough for you, but we’re gonna base you in Antigua so at least you’ll have two nice islands to spend time on! [laughs] I think for us, going to the World Cup, it’s about taking that opportunity. That’s the most important thing for Namibia. Then, the next thing for us is wanting to be seen as the best Associate nation out there. And that means taking care of the games against Scotland and Oman," Wiese elaborates.

England might not be the dominant force they're perceived to be, though. Ireland beat them at the 2011 World Cup, Bangladesh did in 2015, and Afghanistan did in 2023. Even in the T20 World Cup, the Netherlands pulled off a couple of upsets in 2009 and 2014.

"England does have a history of losing to minor teams," Wiese acknowledges. "We might just get a wicket there that suits us in the West Indies. When we played in Dubai, we caused a few difficulties. I suppose we will be satisfied finishing third because that’s what’s expected of us, but ultimately, we’re going there to compete. If we can make it to the next stage, that’ll be fantastic for us."

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Playing for MI, RCB, CSK and KKR, alongside names like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers & Chris Gayle

David Wiese has featured for the four biggest IPL franchises in some capacity [PC: @David_Wiese on X]

In the IPL, Wiese has played for RCB and KKR. He has also represented MI New York in Major League Cricket and the Joburg Super Kings in the SA20 league. With the think tanks and some players being common among the sister franchises, the all-rounder is in a good position to comment on the differences and similarities between those setups.

“RCB was probably the biggest wake-up call for me," Wiese remembers. "Before that, I had barely any experience in franchise cricket. Seeing the level people operated at, sharing the dressing room with Kohli, De Villiers, Gayle was just incredible for me. By the time I worked with MI New York last year, I had worked with Mahela [Jayawardene] a few times."

"The common thing I’ve seen is that it’s not about coaching, it’s about man management," he adds. "You aren’t teaching the guys anything, they already know how to play. But you can give them whatever they need to be successful. Someone like Fleming has been so successful because of that - he doesn’t have a set way of doing things. He facilitates everything, tailored to the player.”

Wiese's time with RCB was quite a while ago, but he got the chance to rub shoulders with some of the best players in the world, Kohli among them. What was that experience like?

“Virat was always a star," Wiese says. "Everything about him, his presence, his body language. He might not have had the numbers he has now back then, but he was still a star. On the field, you see the passion, and some might even say that he oversteps the line and lets himself down. But off the field, he was always one of the first people to come to me and ask me how I’m doing, how my wife’s doing. He always said ‘let us know if you need anything.’"

"It’s a human Virat, humble and caring, that you see off the field, and this passion machine that you see on the field. Same with AB. To be the best player in the world, you need to be like that on the field. And then Chris Gayle, so laid-back off the field, and then the fire ignites in him once he goes out there. Virat would face net bowlers for two hours in training. People wonder why he scored 900-something runs in that year - that’s why,” he explains.

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Racism and the cultural demographic in South Africa and Namibia, through Wiese's eyes

Unfortunately, racism has often reared its ugly face in South African cricket circles. Prominent figures like Paul Adams have come out and shared stories of unpleasant experiences, with decorated cricketers like Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher being accused of prejudice and bullying.

There are some interesting patterns in the Namibian team as well. Around 85% of Namibians are black, but the cricket team is still heavily white-dominant. While that could be down to socio-economic factors and cultural differences, it's worth talking about.

That was before Wiese's time with the Proteas, and Namibia seem to have a productive, wholesome dressing room culture. But it is, in a way, necessary to ask him about the team environment during his stints with these national teams, particularly South Africa. Has he ever seen anything untoward?

"For me personally, I never did," Wiese says. "I wasn’t part of the setup that much when those guys, against whom the allegations have been made, were around. I can say with certainty that Faf [du Plessis], who was the T20 captain then, and JP Duminy made a big effort to create a culture of inclusivity. By the time I came in, all the hard work had already been done. You’d never look at somebody and say ‘oh, he’s just here because he’s a quota player.’ They were all quality players who deserved their spot."

"Unfortunately, there are guys who have different opinions about that," he admits. "But I never found any divide, even when I played for the Titans. Maybe that’s down to my background, where there’s never been any segregation, but for me it was never a thing. Maybe I was just blind or ignorant, but I can’t sit here and tell you that I picked up on anything.”

Wiese has been through the grind. Namibia missed out on qualification for the 2023 World Cup in heartbreaking fashion, but since they already had ODI status, their ICC funding, which keeps them afloat, wasn't affected.

While Wiese's contract with Namibia doesn't feature any ODI commitments as of now, the 2027 World Cup, scheduled to be held in his two countries, could make the ideal venue for a swansong, should he be willing to push his body through the rigors of 50-over cricket. Will the 38-year-old be around then?

“No no no, I’ve been fortunate to be playing for a long time. If I’m still playing in 2027, it’ll only be the shortest possible format I could play [laughs]. I’m slightly older than everyone else now. When you wake up in the morning, things just take a bit longer to get working. When I played the last World Cup in Australia, people thought it’d be my last World Cup. I’ll only be 41 by the time the next one comes around, we’ll see!"

Wiese has two young children and an eye on spending quality time with his family, so he might not be interested in toiling away for long hours on the ground anymore. There isn't much he hasn't seen in the game of cricket, and he's only collecting more memories as he travels around the world for franchise gigs.

For a player who hasn't had anything close to the standard journey associated with a top-level cricketer, David Wiese sure has come a long way. And he still has a few miles left in the tank, on and off the field.

The Hitman for Hire podcast can be found on all streaming platforms