CAPE TOWN - The Proteas Women’s team arrived home from India yesterday full of smiles.
And they had every reason to. No South African cricket team has ever enjoyed as successful a tour as they just experienced. Six victories from eight starts is almost unbelievable, but that’s Hilton Moreeng’s side magnificent record over the course of the one-day international (4-1) and T20I (2-1) series.
From the moment they arrived in Lucknow, not knowing what to expect from “bubble life” in India, they have been on the mark, and Moreeng claims its all down to how everything begun.
“We knew we were playing against a team that prides itself on playing well in its own conditions. It was very important that we started well. The first ODI was the most important game of the series for us. In the past we’ve always played catch up cricket,” Moreeng said.
The confidence gained from that opening victory certainly filtered through the dressing room, with the younger players within the squad benefiting in particular.
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With captain Dane van Niekerk set to return from injury fairly soon and vice-captain Chloe Tryon on the mend too, the Proteas suddenly have an envious amount of options to choose from.
This all bodes well in the build-up to next year’s World Cup in New Zealand, with Moreeng urging all the players below the national team to continue working hard to even further increase the depth of talent.
“The door is never closed on anyone. We always want to select our best possible squad for a World Cup. There is currently provincial cricket being played back home in a bubble. Those performances need to be rewarded and the selectors will look into it. The door is never closed. We know the conditions in New Zealand and what type of players will be best suited to the conditions in New Zealand,” he said.
“There is also a SA Emerging team that will go on tour to Bangladesh. It will be coached by Dinesha Devnarain, our current Under-19 and High Performance coach. She has plenty of experience, having played in Bangladesh. We are regularly in contact and chat all the time about the players’ development and progression.”
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After being inactive for almost a year due to lockdown and missing out on a home series against world champions Australia and also tours to England and the West Indies during that period, the Proteas have enjoyed successive white-ball series against Pakistan (home) and India (away).
They would, of course, hope to maintain this momentum with further series in the near future, but right now Moreeng wants his players to recuperate and just “take in the fresh air” again after spending copious amount of time in a bubble both at home and in Lucknow.
“Currently nothing is planned in terms of tours, we want to focus on recovery as most countries are preparing for the World Cup qualifiers next year in New Zealand,” he said.
“Our operations at CSA will be looking to get content for us but it gives us an opportunity to regroup as a team and make sure everyone is fit if there is a possible tour.”