OBAKENG MELETSE
THE Proteas Women will begin life under new management with a full bilateral tour to India in what will be their first assignment after long-serving coach Hilton Moreeng vacated his post last month.
Dillon du Preez was promoted from his assistant coach role to take charge of the side on an interim basis.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup takes place in October, and the tour of India will present an opportunity for competitive game-time before heading off to Bangladesh.
Nondumiso Shangase, Mieke de Ridder and opening batter Tazmin Brits have all been recalled to the side.
Brits will undergo a fitness test before the squad departs for India to determine her participation in the tour.
INDIA TOUR LOADING ✈️
The Proteas Women are set to embark on an action-packed tour of India, chasing the coveted prize of the multi-format series 🏏
One goal in mind - Bring it home 🏆🏆🏆!#AlwaysRising #WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/XhbxVmTmix
South Africa will play their second Test in the calendar year, following their heavy innings and 284-run defeat away to Australia in February, while the three one-day internationals will offer a chance to pick up more points for automatic qualification to next year’s 50-over World Cup.
“Everyone’s excited and looking forward to the tour to India. So far, preparation has been great. We had a big focus on options against spin, and it was good to see the buy-in from the team,” Du Preez said yesterday.
“We also have new management involved, so this would be a great opportunity for them to find their feet before we come back and start our preparation for the World Cup.
“The key for us would be to assess the conditions as soon as possible, be calm under pressure, and try and play key moments in the game better than the opposition. We all know a series against India in India will always be tough.”
Friday = Good Vibes 😁
Day 5 of the Proteas Women training camp started off with big smiles and optimism.
We are ready for India! 💪🏏🇿🇦 #AlwaysRising #WozaNawe #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/8FbeCLBBjI
Sri Lanka’s 2-1 T20 series win in April left the Proteas reeling with a win ratio of 23.5% from 17 matches, an area that will concern them in a World Cup year.
“Looking at our previous series against Sri Lanka, as a team, we agreed that we need to improve and be more consistent in our overall execution,” Du Preez added.
Proteas Tour Squad
Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Delmi Tucker.
India Itinerary
ODI fixtures: June 16, June 19, June 23
One-off Test: June 28-July 1
T20I series: July 5, July 7, July 9