South Africa have reached the semifinals of the last two ODI World Cups in 2022 and 2017, respectively. The 2025 edition presents them with an opportunity to take the next step in trying to win the tournament with a squad that has a lot of experience.
They come into the quadrennial event having won their last two bilateral ODI series against Pakistan and the West Indies, respectively. However, prior to those twin triumphs, they have also endured a difficult run with losses to Australia, England, India and Bangladesh, underscoring the importance of their recent form.
The all-round options, comprising the likes of Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Nondumiso Shangase, Nadine de Klerk, among others, could hold the key if they are to go deep in the tournament. These versatile players bridge the team’s experience with on-field flexibility.
What does captain Laura Wolvaardt have to say?
“It’s so special to lead South Africa at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. I captained at the Women’s T20 World Cup last year, but ODI cricket feels very different – there’s more pressure and many more tactical decisions to make,” Wolvaardt wrote in her column for the ICC.
“We’ve had good preparation for this tournament and learned a lot of lessons from past ICC events. In the last few ODI World Cups, we made semi-finals. I remember being part of that first semi-final loss in 2017 – it really hurt the group, but it helped us see that we could compete with the best sides in the world and qualifying for a final one day is more a question of “when” and not “if” it would ever happen. The belief is very strong in our side going into this tournament.”
“We’d like to keep that momentum going, and we’ll have to play very good cricket in tough conditions, but I strongly believe that we have a very good squad of 15 players on the plane, so I’m very excited for this tournament.”
Who will be South Africa’s star player?
It is hard to decide which of Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp will play a bigger role in South Africa’s success in this tournament. But considering her all-round value to the side, one would have to think that Kapp will play a more pivotal role for the Proteas women to win against the top teams.
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The 35-year-old is arguably the most experienced player in the South African setup and her middle-order batting, to complement the likes of Wolvaardt, could be vital. It is with the ball, however, that the captain will bank on Kapp to come good. Her canny seam-ups with the new ball and in the middle-phase could prove to be gold dust for Wolvaardt.
Kapp comes into the tournament ranked No.2 in the all-rounders’ ODI rankings for women and will need to bring all her experience into play to try and break the ODI World Cup duck for the Proteas women.
Why could South Africa be contenders?
Recent form may give South Africa and its fans some hope that they could go deep in the tournament. But the World Cup will pose a different type of pressure for all participating nations. What will work in South Africa’s favour is that a number of their players have toured India before and have also featured in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). So, from a conditions-wise perspective, India does not pose as big a challenge as it might have a few years ago.
What could see them develop into contenders as the tournament moves forward could be how they begin. They start with two big games against England and New Zealand, and two wins or one win and one loss could give them the momentum to push for a top-four spot.
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What’s South Africa’s complete squad?
Laura Wolvaardt (c), Ayabonga Khaka, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Tazmin Brits, Sinalo Jafta, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase. Reserves: Miane Smit
What are South Africa’s fixtures?
October 3: vs England, Guwahati
October 6: vs New Zealand, Indore
October 9: vs India, Visakhapatnam
October 13: vs Bangladesh, Visakhapatnam
October 17: vs Sri Lanka, Colombo
October 21: vs Pakistan, Colombo
October 25: vs Australia, Indore
How have South Africa fared in past editions?
1997: Quarterfinal
2000: Semifinal
2005: League stage
2009: 7th place
2013: 6th place
2017: Semifinal
2022: Semifinal
The postICC Women’s World Cup, South Africa team quick guide: Laura Wolvaardt’s thoughts on team, fixtures list, recent form and more | Cricket News appeared first on Indian Express
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