Johannesburg - Mignon du Preez announced her retirement from international cricket on Friday, bringing the curtain down on a 15 year long career, in which she played a pivotal role in transforming women’s cricket in South Africa.
Du Preez, 33, said in a statement that she would continue to seek opportunities in global leagues, but she was also looking forward to starting a family, with husband, Tony. “My cricketing journey has been nothing short of a crazy rollercoaster ride with all the ups and downs, but oh boy, it was one hell of a ride, and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world,” Du Preez said.
She thanked family, friends, Cricket SA, her home province Northerns and the SA Cricketers Association for their help and support throughout her career, as well as her teammates in the Proteas women’s team.
“It was an honour to share the change room and field with each one of you. I will miss you all tremendously but can’t wait to follow your journeys to success and I will definitely be rooting for you from the sidelines in the future.”
ALSO READ: Luhle Siyo to lead SA Under-19 team in first women’s Under-19 World Cup
“I will definitely miss the change room chats, the off-field friendships from all around the globe, travelling and learning about different cultures. However, I am extremely excited about the next phase of my life together with the ones that I love dearly and that have taken a back seat during the last 15 years of my career,”she added.
Du Preez made her international debut as a 17 year old in a One-Day match against Pakistan in 2007. She went on to play 154 ODIs - the fourth most all time - 114 T20 Internationals - the most for South Africa - and one Test.
Her 3760 ODI runs are the most for the Proteas in that format, while her aggregate of 1805 runs in the T20Is make her the third highest scorer for the Proteas in the shortest format. She is also one of just four South African women to score a Test hundred.
Du Preez's legacy stretches further than those records. For many she was the first South African women’s player they got to know as she appeared on TV shows and magazine covers. She broke the mould for women’s cricket locally at the time the sport went from being amateur to professional.
She captained South Africa in 46 ODIs and was skipper in 50 T20Is, leading the team to the semifinals of the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
“Over the last 16 years, du Preez’s professionalism and commitment shown towards her country has been exemplary, not only to those who follow in her footsteps but also to her teammates and peers in the game,” said Cricket SA’s Director of Cricket, Enoch Nkwe.
Proteas captain Dane van Niekerk aiming to gain match fitness in WSL
IOL Sport