T20 World Cup 2021: THIS MS Dhoni quality is inspiration for Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni in action against Delhi Capitals in their IPL 2021 match in Dubai. (Photo: PTI)

Many cricketers and captains have learnt the tricks of the trade from iconic Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus is no different as he admires the former India wicketkeeper-batsman for his ‘calm’ approach. The other leader from whom Erasmus drew inspiration was former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, who is currently the head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

“For me as captain, perhaps my captaincy style that I learn from watching guys operate like Brendon McCullum or MS Dhoni, in the sense that they are good thinkers of the game, but they have got different styles,” Erasmus said in a virtual media interaction, facilitated by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“I learned a lot from watching McCullum, the instinctiveness that he has in his captaincy. The other side of the spectrum, you learn a lot from MS Dhoni, the calm and emotional face that Dhoni has, so definitely we have learnt a lot from the highest quality players,” the 26-year-old added.

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The other batsman whom he looked up to while growing up was swashbuckling South African AB de Villiers, who is still taking opposition attacks to the cleaners. “The kind of energy he (De Villiers) brought to the crease, the shot making he brought, the way he played all around the ground, he is definitely the one person I looked up to when I was young and continue to do,” quipped Erasmus, who was introduced to cricket by his father.

Namibia will open their T20 World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on October 18. They will take on Ireland at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 22.

While conceding that the wicket in Sharjah has been playing to the slower side, the right-handed batsman and off-break bowler said that it could favour his team. “We have been following the conditions (in UAE) closely and doing our sort of analysis behind the scenes. The Sharjah wicket has shown playing a bit slower. We have lot of different skills in the team, we have got other spinners, we have different bowlers bowling change of pace. I guess the wicket in Sharjah could be playing to our favour,” he said.

Erasmus said his team-mates were also keen to learn from former South African player David Wiese, who will turn out for Namibia. “Yeah, David (Wiese) has a lot of experience and that he has played a lot of T20 cricket, he has also played all over the world, T20 tournaments.

“David is also a fresh face in our team, that is awesome, he is someone we can learn from,” the Namibia skipper signed off.

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be held in Oman and the United Arab Emirates from October 17.

(with PTI updates)