Women’s T20 squad named

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has named the squad of 15 that will represent South Africa in the first-ever standalone ICC Women’s World T20 in the West Indies in November.

The sixth edition of the 10team tournament will take place across three venues – Antigua, Saint Lucia and Guyana.

The selectors have kept the bulk of the squad that recently completed a tour of the Windies with the return of stalwarts Shabnim Ismail and Trisha Chetty to finish off the dangerous-looking pack.

Fast bowler Ayabonga Khaka has not sufficiently recovered from her shoulder surgery and was not considered for selection.

Three of the four newest members of the team that toured the West Indies have also received the nod.

Tumi Sekhukhune, Robyn Searle and Saarah Smith will make their World Cup debuts.

It will be a doubly exciting tournament with the Decision Review System (DRS) being used in an ICC World T20 for the first time.

SA will play in Group A in St Lucia against defending champions West Indies, England, Sri Lanka and World Cup qualifier winners Bangladesh. Group B comprises Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland. “Good luck to our Proteas Ladies as they head for the West Indies with high expectations for the ICC Women’s World T20,” CSA CEO Thabang Moroe said.

“They reached the semifinal of this tournament in Bangladesh in 2014 and came agonisingly close to a first appearance in a final in last year’s ICC Women’s World Cup in England.

“The time has now arrived for them to take that next step forward and get into the championship match.

“They can take a lot of justifiable confidence out of their recently completed tour of the West Indies where they drew both the ODI and T20 series against their hosts, who are the defending champions for the ICC World T20.

“From CSA’s perspective we have left no stone unturned in our support for Dané [van Niekerk] and her team to put them on the same level of preparation as our Proteas’ men’s team.”