Proteas skipper Laura Wolvaardt (pictured) praised veterans Dané van Niekerk and Shabnim Ismail for their valuable leadership and mentorship following South Africa's Women's T20 World Cup semi-final exit in England. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
Proteas women’s skipper Laura Wolvaardt has hailed the return of veterans Dané van Niekerk and Shabnim Ismail, despite the side crashing out in the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup in England earlier this month.
“It's nice having them back. They obviously come with so much experience,” Wolvaardt said in an exclusive interview with IOL at the CSA Awards in Sandton last week. “They've played in all the venues before in England, so they are able to help a lot with the youngsters, give advice, that sort of thing, and just really lead from the front with that experience that they have.”
The Proteas were eliminated after falling short against England, managing just 129/8 in pursuit of a 170-run target.
It was a disappointing end to a campaign where South Africa fought back impressively. After a tough opening 65-run defeat to eventual champions Australia, the team bounced back with four consecutive victories to secure a spot in the last four.
