Michael van Lingen

Having started out as a left-arm wristspinner and a middle-order batter, Michael Van Lingen eventually transitioned to bowling medium pace and that's how he broke into Namibia's team for the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, where he earned the Player of the Match award for a four-wicket haul in a surprise win over South Africa.

Five years on, he was in Namibia's squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup, having made his debut against Papua New Guinea shortly before the tournament. By then he had switched to bowling left-arm orthodox, though he mostly focused on his batting, his many bowling styles having led to various niggles.

Though he didn't get opportunities to do much in that World Cup, where his team recorded wins over Netherlands, Ireland and Scotland, he put up his hand to open the innings at a time when Namibia looking for someone for the role. He went on to make his ODI debut right after the tournament, and scored a fifty against Oman in his first game.

While van Lingen couldn't find the explosiveness needed at the top in T20Is, his technical solidity saw him flourish in ODIs, where he scored his maiden century against PNG in 2022, and then five months later, back-to-back hundreds against Nepal, home and away. Later that year he produced a rapid 67 against ZImbabwe in a tight T20I defeat.