Proteas women’s coach Mandla Mashimbyi.
Cricket SA Director of Cricket Enoch Nkwe acknowledges that the Proteas’ performance at the recent T20 Women’s World Cup was a disappointment, but he still has complete confidence in coach Mandla Mashimbyi to take the team forward.
After progressing to three consecutive World Cup finals — two T20 and one ODI — the Proteas stumbled in the semi-finals against eventual runners-up England at The Oval.
It was particularly disheartening because Mashimbyi had reunited the Proteas Women’s “Golden Generation,” with fast bowler Shabnim Ismail and former captain Dane van Niekerk both returning to the international stage after a three-year hiatus.
With seven members of the contingent that featured for the Proteas in the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-final, the stage was set for it all to end in triumph at Lord’s almost a decade later. Instead, it was an inglorious exit that could, in all likelihood, be the last opportunity for this group of players to bring home the much-coveted silverware.
