Proteas women eye strong start in Pakistan ahead of T20 World Cup

Proteas Women captain Laura Wolvaardt believes the team is in good shape, despite not having played since July, as they gear up for a three-match T20 International (T20I) series against Pakistan at the Multan International Cricket Stadium in Multan.

The first T20I will take place on Monday, 16 September, starting at 7pm local time (4pm SAST), and will be broadcast live on SuperSport Cricket (Channel 212).

With the series playing a crucial role in their preparation for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates from 3-20 October, Wolvaardt shared the team’s approach to the upcoming matches against Pakistan.

“We’ve had two practice sessions before the first game, but leading up to this, we had a camp in Durban, which is known for its slower conditions. That was good preparation to face a lot of spin. I expect Pakistan to bowl a lot of spin tomorrow, so we’ve had some good prep against that,” she noted.

First training session, and the energy is off the charts! 💪🇿🇦🏏

The Proteas Women have hit the ground running at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Pakistan! 💥#AlwaysRising #WozaNawe #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/jq8BRyGzis

— Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) September 15, 2024

The last time South Africa faced Pakistan, the hosts secured their first-ever series whitewash against the visitors, winning 3-0 in September last year.

That victory brought the head-to-head record between the two sides to 11 wins for South Africa, while Pakistan have 10 victories from their 21 previous encounters.

Reflecting on last year’s T20I series against Pakistan and the team’s subsequent performances in the 2023/24 season, Wolvaardt said: “The last time we were here, and for most of the time since then, we haven’t played our best T20 cricket. But I’m really excited about this series, mainly to see how far we’ve come in the last year. It will be a great judge of whether the work we’ve been doing behind the scenes is working.

“The messaging we’ve been focusing on as a group—I’d love to see that come through in this series. We want to find that extra 10 to 20 runs and defend that extra little bit in the field. This series is also important just to get us up and running again.

“We haven’t played much since the India series, but I’m really keen for us to get going,” the captain added.

RISING STAR

Among the players selected for the series against Pakistan and the T20 World Cup is 18-year-old legspinner Seshnie Naidu.

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins and SA U19 player earned her first call-up to the national team after standout performances in domestic and high-performance structures.

Ahead of her possible debut during the three-match T20I series, Wolvaardt expressed her excitement about seeing the eManzimtoti-born rising star perform at the international level.

“She’s a very exciting young player. Hopefully, she gets a game—it would be awesome, especially if we have her in mind to play in the T20 World Cup, depending on how slow conditions are and how spin goes in those conditions. It would be great for her to get a game in this series to get a taste of international cricket before we head over.

“I’ve faced her a couple of times in the nets, and I feel like she has good control for such a young legspinner. Very exciting for the future. Hopefully, she gets as much game time as possible,” Wolvaardt added.

As a historic first for the Multan International Cricket Stadium, this series will mark the venue’s debut in hosting a women's cricket match.

Wolvaardt reflected on the significance of the occasion: "It’s very special getting to play here. I think it's always awesome to be part of a historic moment, being part of the first (women’s) game at this venue, which is very special."

PROTEAS WOMEN SQUAD - T20I Series against Pakistan (September 2024)

Laura Wolvaardt (Captain) (Fidelity Titans), Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (DP World Lions), Nadine de Klerk (World Sports Betting Western Province), Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Mieke de Ridder (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Seshnie Naidu* (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Tumi Sekhukhune (DP World Lions), Miané Smit* (Recon Tactical Free State), Chloé Tryon (DP World Lions)

*Uncapped

FIXTURES

Proteas Women’s Outbound T20I Series against Pakistan (16 - 20 September)

Monday, 16 September @ 4pm SAST: 1st T20I - Pakistan v South Africa (Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan)

Wednesday, 18 September @ 4pm SAST: 2nd T20I - Pakistan v South Africa (Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan)

Friday, 20 September @ 7am SAST: 3rd T20I - Pakistan v South Africa (Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan)