Proteas on track with World Cup preparations — Du Preez
Momentum Proteas convener of selectors Clinton du Preez says they are making good strides in terms of the players they want to select for the ICC Women’s and U19 T20 World Cups to be hosted in SA early in 2023.
Having just completed their second national senior training camp in East London this week, Du Preez said the group had been hard at work to ensure they covered all their bases before welcoming the world’s best cricketers in 2023.
Du Preez said their preparations were on track and they were looking forward to the final phases of getting ready for the global tournaments.
“We have done a lot of preparation before this,” he said.
“A lot of planning went into this, so we won’t be chasing our tails at the last moment.
“It is basically just finalising the piece. We have gone through quite a few combinations, looked at various options and we are just fine-tuning that.”
A few of the senior players are still playing in the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, and Du Preez felt that once they returned it would certainly take the intensity of their preparations up a notch.
Speaking about how they had gone about building their squad for the upcoming global showpiece competitions, Du Preez said it had been a four-year process to ensure they were ready for tournaments of this magnitude. “Our building blocks have just been strengthened by players coming through the system, players putting their hands up at provincial level, and some high-performance cricketers coming through.
“It just puts a bit of pressure on the system, which is always a good thing to have.
“Now you have the opportunity to look at those players, giving them a chance at these camps, and as I have alluded to, the WSL [Women’s Super League T20] will be key for us, because it will be strength versus strength, in a controlled environment.”
He said while there was an extended group of players they were looking at, he did not rule out places still being up for grabs when final selections were made.
“Closer to the time, there are always injuries or certain things that crop up, and we have to be prepared for that.
“It is T20 cricket. We know the game has evolved so we are looking at different options and how we can strengthen those positions within the side.”