CAPE TOWN – Proteas Women’s coach Hiltong Moreeng will not take any chances with the fitness of star all-rounder Marizanne Kapp ahead of the final ICC T20 World Cup group clash with the West Indies.
South Africa suffered a major scare on Sunday when Kapp was taken off the field against Pakistan after suffering heart palpitations. The Proteas have qualified for the semi-finals already, but a victory over the Windies will set up a tantalizing clash with hosts Australia on Thursday. Lose and they will face Group A winners India.
Moreeng is not concerned with the permutations and instead wants to focus on helping Kapp recover fully.
“Her vitals spiked up very high and the doctor had to pull her out to manage that. She is under observation. We will take it one day at a time because when it comes to the heart you don’t want to take chances. The doctors and the medical team are working on that and the good news is that she will be steady,” Moreeng said.
Mark your calendars - Thursday is going to be a day to remember 🎆 #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/YOKOOSTDel
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There’s no doubt South Africa rely heavily on Kapp and Shabnim Ismail to set the tone upfront with the new ball, but Moreeng believes there is sufficient seam bowling depth within the Proteas squad.
Masabata Klaas and Tumi Sekhukhune are both high-quality seamers that have yet to feature at the T20 World Cup and would be ready for a call-up should they be required.
Equally, Ismail relished the extra responsibility once her new-ball partner was ruled out and put in a polished performance against Pakistan.
“We have a couple of bowlers still waiting on the sidelines itching to get on the park. As a country we have been very blessed in regards to seamers. There is still one or two that are high quality, but Ismail and Marizanne have over the years been a great opening pair,” he said.
“The way she (Ismail) led shows her maturity, while Ayabongha (Khaka) has also grown in stature. The youngsters can learn such a lot from them to fast track their careers.”
The coach did not want to get involved in talk about topping the group ahead of England, and preferred to focus solely on the task of beating the Windies on Tuesday in Sydney.
“West Indies are a dangerous side that have a couple of match-winners. You can’t let your guard down in T20 cricket. It’s not for us to get ahead of ourselves. Things happen so quickly. You can’t take chances in this game,” Moreeng said.
Proteas ICC Women’s T20 squad
Dane van Niekerk (captain), Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Tumi Sekhukhune, Trisha Chetty, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Nadine de Klerk, Nondumiso Shangase.