Africa-Press – South-Africa. The selection of the Proteas Women’s 15-player squad for the ODI World Cup features a careful balance of spin options alongside pace that the team’s brains trust believe will prove successful on the Indian subcontinent.
Nonkululeko Mlaba — recently named South African Player of the Year — and Chloe Tryon lead a spin contingent for whom the latter stages of the tournament will be crucial, as pitches in India and Sri Lanka become slower and possibly break up more.
Selection convener Clinton du Preez said he and head coach Mandla Mashimbyi were careful about becoming too locked into a spin-heavy strategy in the squad announced on Wednesday. They paid attention to advice from players who’d participated in the Women’s Premier League T20 competition about the importance of pace bowling.
“It’s not necessarily pitches that only spin; there is more bounce in the wickets in India,” said Du Preez.
In Masabatha Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune and veteran all-rounder Marizanne Kapp, the Proteas have sufficient expertise to take advantage of any seam or swing movement that may be on offer.
“We have bowlers that can bash it into the wicket, others who nip it around, some swing bowlers. Tumi gives us consistency in how she executes her skill. Especially towards the latter stages of the tournament when we expect the pitches to be slow and low, her lack of height will make it tough for batters to get underneath her,” said Mashimbyi.
South Africa opens their World Cup campaign against England in Guwahati in northern India on October 3. That match was originally scheduled for Bangalore, but among numerous logistical changes, the match was moved.
The tournament, like the men’s one in 2023, is being played according to a round-robin format, with the eight teams facing each other once. Because of the political fallout between Pakistan and India, matches involving the former will be played in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. South Africa play two of the first-round matches, the other being against Sri Lanka.
“We toured there this year, so it’s worked out for us and we know the conditions there well,” said Mashimbyi.
The side is not short on experience, with 10 of the squad having been in New Zealand three years ago, in which South Africa, despite finishing second after the round-robin phase, lost in the semifinals to England.
“You can’t go into this type of tournament without wanting to win it,” said Mashimbyi.
“As much as that would be beautiful for the team, it’s not the most important thing — how we get there is key for us. The processes that ensure we reach that line will be really important. We have to look at the little things, to make sure that this time, we get across the line.”
Proteas World Cup squad
Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jaftha, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Chloe Tryon.
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