The South African Women’s cricket team will be playing the next round of matches without Trisha Chetty and Shabnim Ismail. Cricket South Africa announced on Sunday the 9th of September that neither player would form part of the team at the upcoming matches.
Proteas Down Two Players
Chetty’s return to the South African Proteas has been hampered by a lower back disc protrusion that she is suffering from. Chetty was excluded from South Africa’s last tour to England in June. Her reputation as the country’s best wicketkeeper as well as her record for dismissals did not secure her place in the England tour. She has been looking forward to proving her worth however, the injury has ruled her out of the upcoming tours for a second time.
A second player, Shabnim Ismail, has excused herself due to family responsibilities. Her father has become gravely ill.
The team’s management has opted not to select a replacement for Ismail. Chetty will be replaced by Faye Tunnicliffe and those who enjoy the online betting NZ has to offer will keep a keen eye on her performance.
Fresh Faces for the Proteas
Other new faces fans can expect on the pitch are Tumi Sekhukhune from the Eastern Cape, Saarah Smith (Western Province, and Robin Searle from Gauteng. All three women will be walking onto the field as Proteas for the first time. They were noticed by selectors during the North versus South T20 competition.
South Africa is currently in the seventh position after losing 2-1 against England in the ODIs. The upcoming games will be used to acclimatize the team ahead of the ICC World Cup. It also gives them time to organize themselves and firm up their plans before November. The selection panel has opted to try and deepen the batting bench ahead of the upcoming tours. The team has a few areas that needed additional padding and the selection has been based on players potential to fill those gaps.
The three women have demonstrated their skills at the national academy, with a notable performance from Robyn Searle at the North versus South tournament. Saarah Smith has also been noted for her perseverance to earn her spot in the team, and Tumi’s growth within the sport over her last two seasons makes her an exciting player to watch.
Proteas Squad
The new squad is as follows: Dane van Niekerk as captain, Chloe Tryon, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus, Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Masabata Klaas, Zintle Mali, Faye Tunnicliffe, Robyn Searle, Tumi Sekhukhune and Saarah Smith.