Cricket South Africa (CSA) named South Africa's opening batter Laura Wolvaardt as the interim captain of their women's team for the upcoming tours of Pakistan and New Zealand, as per ICC.
This decision comes after Suné Luus stepped down from her role as the team's interim captain and due to the unavailability of the vice-captain, Chloe Tryon, for the Pakistan series.
Cricket South Africa stated that in agreement with Wolvaardt, her position will be reviewed following the conclusion of the New Zealand series.
According to ICC, the 24-year-old made her international debut in 2016. In her seven years as an international cricketer, she has scored 3193 ODI runs at an average of 45.61. She has three centuries and 29 fifties in the 50-over format. In the T20I format, Wolvaardt has scored 1079 runs at an average of 30.82. Her career-best score of 66* came against Bangladesh in this year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup. This knock helped the Proteas book a place in the semi-finals.
Wolvaardt said that she was honoured to be appointed as South Africa's skipper for the upcoming international tours.
“It’s a massive honour to be offered this position as captain for the next two tours. It’s something that I have always aspired to do, having played in this team for a couple of years,” Wolvaardt said as quoted by ICC.
“Having more of a leadership role is something I’ve wanted to take on. It’ll help me as a cricketer and learning to think as a captain on the field will hopefully help my batting as well."
“I’m very excited to be able to contribute in another way too, and not just in batting. It still feels surreal at the moment but it will all become more real when I meet up with the team in Pakistan.
"What I can bring to the role is the experience that I have in the side. I’ve been playing international cricket since I was 16 years old, I know quite a lot of players in the circuit and I’ve been playing in the leagues as well, so I’ve played a lot of cricket in recent years and hopefully, I’m able to use that experience and the knowledge to my advantage when I captain the team," she further added.
Wolvaardt believes that she is calm and level-headed in the field as a captain.
“I’d like to also think of myself as quite calm and level-headed and that’s probably more of the approach that I try to take on the field as a captain. It is very new to me but I am keen to learn and do everything that I can to do well in the position. I am lucky that I have a couple of senior players within the squad around me as well, who would be able to help me and guide me if I do need help along the way,” she said.
CSA Director of Cricket, Enoch Nkwe believed that Wolvaardt's ability to stay composed under pressure and her deep understanding of cricket made her an ideal candidate to lead the South Africa side.
“Congratulations to Laura on her appointment as the captain of the Proteas Women's team for the upcoming tours,” Nkwe added. “Laura's dedication, leadership acumen, and cricketing prowess have been evident throughout her career. Her ability to stay composed under pressure and her deep understanding of the game make her an ideal candidate to lead the team.
“The captaincy holds a vital role in shaping the team's strategy and morale, especially during tours as important as these to Pakistan and at home against New Zealand. Laura's influence as captain will extend beyond her individual performances as she guides the team toward their goals," Nkwe continued.
“As the Proteas Women embark on these critical tours, CSA wishes Laura and the entire team the very best. The challenges ahead are immense, but with Laura's leadership and the team's collective efforts, they are well-poised to deliver outstanding performances on the field.”
South Africa women will tour Pakistan for the first time. The tour, set to take place between 1-14 September, will feature a three-match T20I series followed by as many ODIs, which will be a part of the ICC Women's Championship 2022-25 cycle. (ANI)
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