Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka will be rested for the home T20I series against England as South Africa look to expand their short-format player pool. They have recalled medium pacer Eliz-Mari Marx, who was the joint leading wicket-taker in the CSA Women’s Pro20 series, and all-rounder Nondumiso Shangase. Kapp and Khaka will return for the three-match ODI series that follows.
South Africa’s T20 team will also be without batsman and wicketkeeper Mieke de Ridder and Seshnie Naidu, who were part of the recently completed T20 World Cup. De Ridder has been replaced by Faye Tunnicliffe, while Naidu is completing his final school exams and will then prepare for the Under-19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia in January.
The rest of the team includes three players currently in the WBBL: captain Laura Wolvaardt and all-rounders Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon, who will return from Australia in time for the first match on November 24. Bowlers Ayanda Hlubi and Tumi Sekhukhune, who were also in the World T20 but did not play a match, may get a chance at home, where conditions are expected to suit them better.
Interim coach Dillon du Preez will continue to coach the team for now and said he hopes they can build on their performance in the T20 World Cup, where they reached a second successive final.
“We would like to have the same approach as we had in the last T20 World Cup. Although the next T20 World Cup will be two years from now, we would still like to grow as a team and continue working on our T20 playing philosophy,” said du Preez in a statement. “We decided to give one or two players a chance to prove themselves in the T20I series and also give us a chance to see what stock we have available and what skills we need to work on.”
South Africa have added additional resources to the 50-over squad, in batsman Lara Goodall, experienced seamer Masabata Klaas, while Hlubi is in line to make his ODI debut. The matches are part of the Women’s Championship, which forms the qualification path for next year’s ODI World Cup in India. South Africa is currently in fourth place, with 23 points, five behind Australia and England. The top five teams, along with hosts India, will automatically advance to the event, meaning Australia and England have already qualified. South Africa has also passed, although it is surpassed by Bangladesh or the West Indies, who have six games left to play (three of them against each other). That can happen if Bangladesh or the West Indies win the bilateral series 3-0 and South Africa lose 3-0 to England.
The tour also includes a one-off Test in Bloemfontein from December 15-18, for which South Africa will name the team at a later date. The T20 games will be on November 24, 27 and 30, followed by the ODIs on December 4, 8 and 11.
South Africa women’s teams for England series
T20I: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Chloé Tryon, Faye Tunnicliffe
ODI: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloé Tryon
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