The Cricketer's in-depth look at the Proteas ahead of the tournament in New Zealand
Coach: Hilton Moreeng enjoyed a brief playing career but was first appointed as head coach of South Africa Women in 2012, since then reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cups in 2014 and 2020, as well as the 2017 50-over World Cup in England. He arrives in New Zealand with his charges ranked second in the world, only behind tournament favourites Australia.
Captain: The build-up to this World Cup has been eventful for the Proteas, who will be without Dane van Niekerk, missing after fracturing her ankle after slipping at home. In her place, Sune Luus has been named as captain, with Chloe Tryon as her deputy. Luus has led South Africa in 20 of her 92 ODIs and 15 of her 83 T20Is. Van Niekerk promises to be a big miss, however: she was at the helm as her side were beaten by Australia in the final four two years ago at the T20 World Cup, while she more recently skippered Oval Invincibles to glory in The Hundred.
Superstars
Lizelle Lee: The 29-year-old is among the hardest hitters in the women's game and her return to the squad is a welcome fillip in the absence of van Niekerk. Lee missed the recent series win over West Indies due to Covid but was passed fit to travel to New Zealand to likely take her place at the top of the order for the Proteas. No one has made more ODI hundreds for South Africa, albeit teammate Laura Wolvaardt also has three in 27 fewer matches. Although Lee is without an international appearance in 2022, she made three fifties in four innings (91*, 78*, 61) on a tour of the Caribbean last September.
Shabnim Ismail: One of the game's most fearsome seamers, only Cathryn Fitzpatrick, Jhulan Goswami and Anisa Mohammed have taken more ODI wickets – and no one has claimed more since the 2017 World Cup final. She comes into this World Cup on the back of consecutive four-wicket hauls against West Indies, with this surely the last global 50-over tournament in the career of the 34-year-old fast bowler. At her quickest, she touched 80mph, becoming just the fourth bowler to 100 T20I wickets last year – she has played in every T20 World Cup since the tournament's incepton. Her new-ball partnership with Marizanne Kapp will be among the most potent on show.
Rising star
It says plenty for an experienced squad that Tazmin Brits is its most novice-like member despite herself being 31 years of age. Brits, a batter with seven ODI caps, has also featured in 20 T20Is and only made her international 50-over debut last year. Nadine de Klerk, the talented 22-year-old allrounder, is just a travelling reserve – both a surprise and also a reminder of the strength in depth at South Africa's disposal, even without van Niekerk.
Lizelle Lee will have to shoulder the burden of the absent Dane van Niekerk
BATTING
Power hitters
No one hits a longer ball in women's cricket worldwide than Tryon: indeed, no player to have faced more than 30 balls for South Africa in T20Is has a higher strike rate, while only Lee has hit more sixes (48) than her 34, albeit in more than three times the number of deliveries. The same two players are both among the top seven six-hitters in T20 World Cup history, though well behind leader Deandra Dottin, who has prepared for this tournament with a brutal hundred against the Proteas.
Tryon, South Africa's ninth-leading run-scorer in ODIs, has accrued those runs at a strike rate of 97.79. While she operates predominantly in the middle order, Lee is the tone-setter – only Mignon du Preez has scored more ODI runs for her country.
Anchor
Trisha Chetty and Mignon du Preez have strike rates in the 60s and are both experienced senior pros whose international careers began 15 years ago. Du Preez batted at No.5 in the recent series win over West Indies, with Chetty – who kept wicket – further down the order. Andrie Steyn, another steady scorer, who made her solitary ODI hundred in 2017 against Ireland, came in for the final ODI against West Indies in early February and made a half century.
South Africa's star, however, is Wolvaardt, among the most watchable batters in the game with a picture-perfect cover drive. Still only 22, she has already made 99 appearances in all formats for the Proteas, with three ODI hundreds already to her name.
Finisher
This is Tryon's domain, with her dominant bottom hand and brute power. The vice-captain has reached fifty on eight occasions in ODI cricket, with her 92 off 68 balls against Ireland in 2016 the second-highest score ever made in a women's ODI from No.7.
Problem areas
The absence of van Niekerk is the obvious one, especially given the run-scoring burden that will fall upon Lee, Wolvaardt and Kapp. The line-up is far from settled, without an obvious order for their top six.
Shabnim Ismail is among the fastest bowlers in the women's game
BOWLING
Speed merchants
Ismail leads a pace attack also featuring Kapp, who has exactly 200 international wickets to her name. Ayabonga Khaka is four short of 100 wickets in ODIs; she is one of the better seamers on the global circuit and has turned out in the Women's T20 Challenge in the past, while Masabata Klaas is six shy of 50 ODI scalps. She is another experienced member of this squad, having made her international bow in 2010. At 23, Tumi Sekhukhune is the youngest of the seamers at Luus' disposal.
Variation
Even without van Niekerk, Luus can call upon her own leg-breaks for a change of pace – she has 155 international wickets – though that represents the best of her alternative options. Tryon bowls useful left-arm spin, though Nonkululeko Mlaba – the youngest member of the squad – offers a more specialist option as a slow left-armer. Raisibe Ntozakhe is a travelling reserve, having made her international return after more than three years away. She was only cleared to bowl again in international cricket last September, having been reported for an illegal action in 2018.
Problem areas
The lack of a quality specialist spinner could prove problematic for Luus, but otherwise she has the makings of a fine seam attack.
Who takes the gloves?
South Africa are hardly short on wicketkeeping options: du Preez, Lee, Chetty and Sinalo Jafta all have experience behind the stumps, though it will be the latter two competing for the job in New Zealand. Chetty donned the gloves in the Proteas' last ODI against West Indies.
Squad: Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Tazmin Brits, Trisha Chetty, Tumi Sekhukhune
Fixtures: March 5 – Bangladesh; March 11 – Pakistan; March 14 – England; March 17 – New Zealand; March 22 – Australia; March 24 – West Indies; March 27 – India
Possible starting XI: Wolvaardt, Lee, Brits, Luus, du Preez, Kapp, Tryon, Chetty, Ismail, Khaka, Sekhukhun
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