Out of the blue, he appeared - dressed to the nines in a sports coat, with a splendid red handkerchief perfectly positioned, and his signature black hair absolutely slicked back. Jay Shah, the topmost cricket authority globally, was moving like a ruler through the puny crowd in Windhoek, where the fans ceremonially opened the way for him to pass, just to gather in a few seconds for taking pictures together. Well, it is certainly not each and every day the ICC chairman pays a visit to Namibia.

Shah inspects 2027 World Cup plans and visits Namibia’s new international venue

Shah was in the capital of Namibia to evaluate the arrangements made for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, which Namibia will be the third co-organizer along with South Africa and Zimbabwe. His visit also attracted the delegation of high-ranking officials from the Africa Cricket Association, who gathered in Windhoek for talks that revolved around infrastructure, development pathways, and Africa's expanding role in the global game.

Moreover, during his visit, Shah was present at an ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 match held at the Namibia Cricket Ground, which is the country's new international venue. He was quite impressed with ground’s picturesque location and potential while watching the young players on the field and also mentioned ICC’s plan of raising the venue’s capacity by 5,000 from the current 5,000 to about 10,000 through temporary infrastructure in preparation for the 2027 World Cup.

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@JayShah visited Namibia this week to catch #U19WorldCup future stars in action at Cricket Namibia's NCG venue.

The ICC Chairman also met with Africa Cricket Association leaders, with the growth of the sport in the region high on the agenda. pic.twitter.com/pCiSyl6QSr

— ICC (@ICC) January 22, 2026

Windhoek visit highlights Namibia’s rise on the world cricket stage

Communicating via X platform, Shah called the day a fruitful one, and he specifically mentioned the meetings with the African cricket officials and the thrill of seeing the game’s future stars in the new Namibian facility. His presence was an indication of the ICC’'s major objective to reinforce the sport in the new areas of the world.

The visit coincided with a critical phase in Namibian cricket's history. The South African national team was recently shocked by a last-ball defeat in a T20I match at Windhoek, which was the first-ever victory of Namibia over an ICC full member and a milestone in the progress of the country.

Shah’s stop at Windhoek was brief, and that was why it had such a strong impact; it was an indication of Africa's growing importance in world cricket, with Namibia asserting itself as a responsible global host.