The national women’s cricket team will get a chance to restart the T20 series against India according to coach Mandla Mashymbyi.
The Proteas got some time off after the tour of New Zealand, where they were defeated 4-1 in the T20 matches, and lost 2-1 in the One Day International (ODI).
The local team will play five T20 matches against India which will help them prepare for the T20 World Cup which will start in June in England and Wales.
It will start the clash with India at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Durban, tomorrow at 6 pm, and face again at the same stadium on Sunday at 2 pm.
“The trip to New Zealand was difficult, but we learned a lot from it. There is not enough time to fix everything we need to fix before facing India, but everything will help us as we look towards the World Cup,” said Mashymbyi.
“What I want to see is for the team to start again. I want us to be mentally ready for the games we will play against India. It always means a lot to face them, especially here at home. It will test us properly before the World Cup.”
“We discussed the things we need to improve in our game including swinging, batting and catching.”
The women’s Proteas made changes in the coaching staff as the contracts of the deputy coach who focused on batting, Baakier Abrahams, who focused on catching, Bongani Ndaba, and Zane Webster who coached the players were not renewed.
Their positions were filled by Andrew Puttick (batting), Mduduzi Mbhatha (catching) and Tumi Masekela (training).
“There would not have been a good time to take these decisions. They were difficult because of the work done by these coaches in the past years. Letting them go does not mean that we are at odds with them. I saw the time for us to take a different path with people who will bring different energy and different ideas,” Mashymbyi explained.
Proteas women’s squad to face India: Ayanda Hlubi, Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins); Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Suné Luus, Tebogo Macheke, Eliz-Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans); Tazmin Brits, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon (DP World Lions); Nadine de Klerk, Kayla Reyneke (World Sports Betting Western Province) no-Annerie Dercksen (Garden Route Badgers).