Johannesburg: South Africa on Friday announced their 15-member squad for the women’s T20 event for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, to be held at Edgbaston Cricket Ground from July 28 to August 8.
Sune Luus will lead South Africa in regular skipper Dane van Niekerk’s absence, with Chloe Tryon serving as the vice-captain. On Dane’s non-selection, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said that the all-rounder was unsuccessful in her bid to recover in time for the event from an ankle fracture sustained earlier this year.
The ankle fracture meant that Dane has been out of competitive cricket since then and had to miss the ODI Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in March-April, where South Africa reached the semi-finals.
The South Africa squad boasts of an experienced group which includes Marizanne Kapp, widely regarded as the world’s leading all-round women’s cricketer and tearaway pacer Shabnim Ismail. There are also two wicketkeepers in veteran Trisha Chetty and Sinalo Jafta.
Women’s cricket, through the T20 format, is making its debut at the Commonwealth Games. The men previously played a 50-overs format at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, where South Africa won the gold medal, beating Australia in the final.
South Africa in Group B alongside New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka. They will open their campaign on July 30 against New Zealand, followed by games against England on August 2 and Sri Lanka on August 4.
Group A consists of Australia, India, Pakistan and Barbados. The top two countries from the group will progress to the semifinals. The semifinals will be staged on August 6 with the medal matches on August 7.
South Africa are ranked fifth in the world in women’s T20 format, with Australia at top spot, followed by England (second), New Zealand (third) and India (fourth).
They will warm-up for the Commonwealth Games with a three-match T20I series against England from July 21-25. South Africa are already in the United Kingdom for an all-format tour and will be playing the second of the three ODIs against England at Bristol on Friday.
Squad: Anneke Bosch, Trisha Chetty, Nadine de Klerk, Lara Goodall, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Maria Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus (captain), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Shabnim Ismail, Chloe Tryon, Mignon van der Merwe (Du Preez) and Laura Wolvaardt
–IANS