In Women’s World T20 2018 Australia have won it thrice. England has won it once and so have the West Indies.
What’s more?
New Zealand has gone as far as being runner’s up twice.
Ditto for the English.
In fact, in the Women’s World T20 2018, Australia and England once again look set for contesting for the top honors.
So, what about the Proteas in World T20 2018?
A bit like India, the Proteas Women’s record in the ICC Women’s World T20 has been pretty ordinary.
Isn’t this both surprising and upsetting? Truth be told, in a world obsessed with rankings, Proteas Women’s rank on the ICC rankings for T20-
Not once have the South Africans reached the finals of a single edition of a World T20 2018. But a record of dismality seems a bit contradictory given the nature of this team.
This is a unit that has talents of all kinds- isn’t it?
The Protea’s Women, regardless of whether you are a fan or not, appeal to the psyche of a fan whose adrenaline is spiked by a great game of cricket.
They are a thrilling unit. They play competitive cricket together as a close-knit bunch.
In Mignon Du Preez- a child prodigy who struck a double hundred before turning a teenager going on to captain the side in all formats they have someone among the game’s greats.
During moments of duress, they’d love to remember the semis of the 2017Â 50-over world cup. Had Mignon not played the timely rescuer, what would their bowlers have bowled at?
In Shabnim Ismail, they have among the fastest bowlers in the game, as also among the most dangerous practitioners of medium pace. On raw pace, you’d put her somewhere above a Katherine Brunt and maybe a tad bit below someone like a Holly Ferling.
Together with Marizanne Kapp, revered for her disciplined line and Dane van Niekerk’s tricky leg-spinners, Ismail forms a troika that can trouble any batting unit.
In Lizelle Lee and Laura Woolvardt, the Proteas Women have a destructive duo, say someone like a Virender Sehwag and Quinton de Kock.
In World T20 2018
We’ve seen what happens when they get going. When on song, there’s no beat they cannot make bowlers dance to. It was evident in their recent showing against the Windies. Out of nowhere when it seemed that the Windies had all but usurped their visitors to the Caribbean, did the Proteas mount a comeback.
Trisha Chetty’s return should boost their confidence while in Sune Luus, they’ve got among the game’s finest young all-rounders.
Probably, one may not be wrong to suggest that the Proteas is a wagon that can both run flat out like a Formula 1 car, upping the ante of runs as well go off-roading during tricky terrains; playing unorthodox cricket breaking down dogmas that contain most others.
On any day can a Luus open the batting just as well as a Niekerk can fire up the runs coming in at number three. Mignon can script formidable stands when nothing seems to be going right. Tryon shows bowlers the perils of bowling short and around good length.
On her day- and usually, it’s any day- no ground is big enough for her mighty reach to scale.
The Proteas are a wagon that, despite being toppled from the main circuit- as seen during their initial hammering by the Windies in the ODIs and T20s- can return to the track to run a fast lap.
There’s h0nestly nothing that Proteas women can’t achieve in World T20 2018
Forget the histrionics.
Yet, in front of them, lies a Mount Everest to scale.
How else would you describe it, given to contest with names like- Bates, Raj, Mandhana, Tahuhu, Devine, Lanning, Perry, Molineux, Mir among the many- they’ve got their task cut out?
Nothing could be more defining for the rainbow nation than to be contesting with talents who come from all colours, cultures and distinct powers and flair.
It’s about time they clicked as one unit. It’s about time they showed the world they aren’t merely a poignant, thrilling caption but an embodiment of a sentiment that stokes the game’s fire: Proteas Fire.
Soldier on, Proteas women!
Read More:-
- South Africa express: A tribute to Shabnim Ismail
- Key Players to watch out in the ICC Women’s World T20
- ICC Women’s Wt20: Young Smriti Mandhana is the new big deal