CSA Director of Cricket Enoch Nkwe with Proteas Women's opening batter Tazmin Brits.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) Director of Cricket Enoch Nkwe is hoping the implementation of a South Africa ‘A’ Women’s team will help bridge the gap between domestic cricket and the senior Proteas Women’s side.
Coach Mandla Mashimbyi’s national team suffered a blowout in the semi-finals of the recent ICC T20 Women’s World Cup in the UK, despite fielding a vastly experienced outfit. Seven of the 15-player squad were involved in the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-final, with the average age of the Proteas squad being among the oldest at the tournament.
Mashimbyi has shown during his coaching tenure that he prefers to place his trust in experienced players, recently reintegrating Dane van Niekerk (33 years old) and Shabnim Ismail (37 years old) into the Proteas setup after both had spent a lengthy time in the international wilderness.
The reasoning often stated behind this philosophy is the belief that South Africa’s current women’s domestic structure — consisting of the Hollywoodbets Pro50 League and Hollywoodbets Pro20 League — is not yet at the required level to prepare young cricketers for the intense international circuit.
