Van Niekerk looking forward to WC on home soil
All-rounder captain raring to go after lengthy recovery from injury
Momentum Proteas captain Dane van Niekerk believes she still has what it takes to perform at the highest level as she looks ahead to the 2022 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in SA.
Van Niekerk, who was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2021, primarily for her exploits in the inaugural Hundred tournament in England that same year, saw her dreams of representing SA at the last women’s 50-over World Cup early in 2022 evaporate after a freak ankle injury that kept her off the field for a lengthy period.
However, the all-rounder has been hard at work getting herself back to peak physical condition with the international T20 showpiece just weeks away.
Speaking to Weekend Post at the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour, the 29year-old, who spent some time with the senior national team at a training camp held in Gqeberha this week, said her recovery had gone well and she could not wait to get back to international action.
“It has been such a long journey.
“The day I broke my ankle, I thought it would be a swift four months and I will be back, but it never worked out that way,” Van Niekerk said.
She joined the national training camp at St George’s Park earlier this week to spend some time with her teammates and reacquaint herself with the environment.
“I had a bit of a run around with the team yesterday [Tuesday], and it is just good to be back, being around my teammates and the people who I spend a lot of time around,” she said.
Having been back to full training for the last few months, Van Niekerk said playing in the second edition of the Hundred tournament in August, where she kitted up for the Oval Invincibles, was a great way to get some game time under her belt.
“I was appointed captain again, I got dropped a few times which was tough, especially coming back from an injury you always just want to get on the park and play.
“But every time I did get the opportunity to play, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
“It is still going to be a tough three months, [there is] a lot of work still to be done on the fitness front, but I have a good support system around me, I had some good chats with management.
“Having their backing and support means the world to me,” the right-handed batter said.
Having never played an international match at St George’s Park, her second home after spending many years in Pretoria, Van Niekerk said it would be special to have the honour of leading her country, in a major international tournament, on home soil.
“With our hectic schedules, we don’t always have the opportunity to play many international tours at home.
“Myself and Marizanne [Kapp] have been asking management to host a camp in PE [Gqeberha], and we finally managed to get one.
“The provincial women play here quite often. It is something that has changed in the recent past. These teams can now play at the bigger grounds and I am really happy about that.”