Cricket South Africa on Monday named the 15-player squad for the Proteas Women’s white-ball leg of the multi-format tour against Australia between 27 January to 18 February.
Leading the team to Australia will be captain Laura Wolvaardt. The talented top-order batter will be joined by a well-balanced group including fellow Women’s Big Bash League stars Marizanne Kapp and Chloé Tryon.
Earning her maiden one-day international (ODI) call-up for South Africa is Hollywoodbets Dolphins fast bowler Ayanda Hlubi, who made her senior debut in the third T20 International (T20I) against Bangladesh in Kimberley in December.
The squad set to feature in the first-ever test match between the two nations will be confirmed during the ODI series and ahead of the commencement of the red-ball contest from 15 to 18 February at the WACA Ground in Perth.
PROTEAS WOMEN SQUAD (T20I & ODI) – MULTI-FORMAT TOUR TO AUSTRALIA
Laura Wolvaardt (Fidelity Titans, Captain), Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Nadine de Klerk (Western Province), Mieke de Ridder (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (Western Province), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Masabata Klaas (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Eliz-Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Chloé Tryon (DP World Lions), Delmi Tucker (Western Province).
In search of their first win over Australia across all formats, the Proteas Women go into the encounters with a head-to-head record including 14 defeats in 15 One-Dayers, with the team’s best result coming in the shape of a tied match in the fourth ODI in November 2016.
In the shorter format, the Australians have amassed seven wins in their previous seven encounters against South Africa, including their historic ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final triumph in Cape Town in February last year.
Ahead of the trip to Australia, Proteas Women’s head coach Hilton Moreeng, who has had his national contract extended until the end of the 2023/24 season, commented: “It’s a very competitive squad.
It is a mixture of youngsters and experience, and everyone is looking forward to it. It was a very good year for us as a team in 2023, so we look forward to building on that.
“We finished off well with the tour against Bangladesh and the camp was very good. The weather is not something we can control but we got what we wanted out of it, such as the education around the game, touching base regarding the red ball, and what we want to achieve.
“We also touched on our skills regarding the white ball, where we are going, and what is required, so the selected squad is very well-balanced and competitive, and we are very confident going into Australia.”
Proteas Women convenor of selectors, Clinton du Preez said: “The objective is consistently to vie for success in every competition or tour we engage in, and the prospect of doing so in Australia is very exciting as we compete against the best.
The squad maintains its balance, and we eagerly anticipate Chloé’s return. Her wealth of experience and match-winning skills will undoubtedly enhance the squad’s value.
“I am genuinely excited for both the players and the management team. The group is undoubtedly poised to compete and deliver positive contributions to the overall team performance and the set targets throughout the tour.” –SuperSport
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