Rocked by retirements, a rebuild is on the cards for Proteas women’s team

It was just a few months ago that all South African cricket fans were excited about the Proteas women’s team playing in the T20 World Cup final in Cape Town.

Though they lost to Australia in the last game, there was a feeling that the national side were on the verge of kicking on and achieving great things.

While this is of course still possible, the recent retirements from international cricket of several players has hit hard.

It all started in the middle of last year when prolific opener Lizelle Lee called it quits in July. She was disgruntled about CSA concerns regarding her weight and opted to no longer be available for her country.

In December, former captain and experienced batter Mignon du Preez called it quits and then, after being controversially left out of the Proteas squad for the World Cup after failing to run a time trial in a certain time, former all-rounder and captain Dane van Niekerk retired from all international cricket.

A day after Van Niekerk’s announcement, on March 17, wicketkeeper Trisha Chetty called it quits and on Wednesday this week, world class fast bowler Shabnim Ismail also announced her retirement.

At 34 and having represented South Africa for 16 years, Ismail has decided to focus on her family. She, like Van Niekerk, will continue to play T20 cricket around the world.

Hard to replace

In just under a year the Proteas women’s team have lost five key members who will be hard to replace.

The big question is who will be next? Some have suggested it is only a matter of time before Van Niekerk’s wife, Marizanne Kapp, also announces her retirement. Time will tell.

The good news is there are new players emerging all the time and just recently CSA named three new contracted players in Nadine de Klerk, Anneke Bosch and Delmi Tucker.

The recently created, and staged, domestic women’s T20 competition is good news, too, for the future of women’s cricket in South Africa, but there is no denying the Proteas women’s team will need some rebuilding over the coming months and years.