New Delhi: Namibia will be hosting the men's ODI World Cup games in 2027 and a lot of credit for constructing a brand new stadium goes to ICC chairman Jay Shah, Cricket Namibia president Rudie van Vuuren said on Thursday.

Van Vuuren was all praise for Shah for his efforts in empowering associate nations and improving their cricket infrastructure.

"The ICC has adopted a policy of empowering associate members. Jay Shah has really brought significant change there. He was in Windhoek visiting our new stadium, and how the ICC has helped us develop that facility," Van Vuuren said.

In fact, with the 2027 World Cup in mind, the ICC has also developed high-performance facilities which will help Namibia grow as a cricketing nation.

"Now, all of a sudden, we have those high-performance facilities. Africa has nations like Namibia coming through because of the ICC's backing, so that gap will become smaller and smaller.

"We must make use of these opportunities to showcase our talent and show the world that associate members are the future of cricket," Van Vuuren.