Full name Helao Nafidi Ya France Name Pikky France 2010/11 Namibia | Bowling style Right-arm slow Batting style Left-handed Role Cricket Player | |
 | ||
Born 23 April 1990 (age 34) ( 1990-04-23 ) Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia | ||
Helao Nafidi Ya France (born 23 April 1990) is a Namibian cricketer. He is known by his nickname Pikky (from the Afrikaans language). Ya France is a left-handed batsman who bowls right-arm slow. He was born in Windhoek, Khomas Region.
Contents
2011: Debut
Having played for the Namibia Under-19 cricket team, whom he represented in the 2008 Under-19s Cricket World Cup, Ya France made his first-class debut for the senior team in March 2011. Ya France opened the batting in the 2010/11 CSA Provincial Three-Day Competition against Gauteng and scored 15 and 10. He made his List A the following day, and scored 13.
Ya France quickly established himself as a regular member of the side. He played in both one day matches in the tour of Ireland in July, and then took eight wickets at 12.25 in the 2011 ICC Africa Twenty20 Division One in Uganda.
In September 2011, Ya France made a marathon unbeaten half-century against Scotland to force a draw in Namibia's ICC Intercontinental Cup match. Ya France faced 225 balls in his 63 not out.
2013: Racism controversy
In April 2013, Ya France scored 54 off 38 in the final of the Twenty20 Quadrangular to help Namibia to victory over Kenya. He was named man of the match.
In September, however, Ya France pulled out of the squad that travelled to Sharjah to play the United Arab Emirates in the ICC Intercontinental Cup. Ya France stated that he had been "constantly subjected to unfair treatment by the selectors" in being overlooked for selection in previous matches. Carlos Kambaekwa, writing for the New Era newspaper, criticized the team's "lily white lineup" and suggested that the Namibian cricket authorities were excluding and discouraging "cricketers of colour".
Ya France was back in the first-class team in October, but played only one match in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in November.
2015: Return to form
In October 2015, Ya France returned to form with 83 against South Western Districts. This is his highest first-class score to date.
In April 2016, Ya France top scored for Namibia in both innings against Afghanistan in the ICC Intercontinental Cup. He made 46 and 40 as Namibia lost by an innings and 36 runs. Then in September he top-scored in Namibia's victory over Western Province in the 2016 Africa T20 Cup. Namibia lost both its remaining matches, but Ya France was his team's highest run-scorer in the tournament.