Christi Viljoen

Another South African cricketer who decided to switch alliances, Christoffel Viljoen is a South Africa-born Namibian cricketer who primarily plays as an allrounder in the side.

Viljoen made his first-class debut for Namibia in the CSA Provincial Three-Day Challenge Competition held in 2010. Viljoen showcased his all-round abilities in the tournament, scoring 61 runs and scalping 6 wickets at an average of 16.83.

Namibia was included in the 2011-13 ICC Intercontinental Cup and in their opening fixture, Viljoen departed for a four-ball duck in the first innings but roared back in style to struck a majestic 87 in the second innings. As a result of this knock, Viljoen went past 500-runs in his first-class career.

The UAE hosted the 2012 World Twenty20 Qualifiers and Namibia progressed to the prelims and lost to Ireland. However, Viljoen outperformed everyone and picked up 14 wickets in nine matches.

Over the years, he continued to be an important part of the Namibia side. 2018 was a special year for the all-rounder as he was the star performer for Otago in the 2018-19 Super Smash. The Pretoria born picked up 13 dismissals in seven matches and won applauds from everywhere.

After years of hard work, Viljoen eventually made his T20I debut for Namibia against Ghana in 2019. The all-rounder was one of Namibia’s best performers in the 2018-19 ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier. He finished the tournament with 9 wickets in just three matches but was a subject of controversy as he breached the ICC’s Anti-Racism code in a match against Uganda. As a result, he was suspended for four matches.

A talented all-round player, Viljoen is a match-winner for his side. His ability to deliver under pressure is second to none. Now towards the twilight of his career, he’ll look to nurture the youngsters for the future.

(As of September 21)