At the back of being the first black player to reach 100 appearances in the ODI format and becoming just the third black South African cricket player ever to achieve that milestone, Proteas Women star bowler Ayabonga Khaka is aiming to make more history by leading her team to T20 World Cup glory next month.
The Proteas will compete in the 2024 ICC T20 Women’s World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, with their first match set to be a huge test against the West Indies on October 4.
Khaka, 32, will once again be expected to lead the South African bowling attack alongside all-rounders Chloé Tryon and Marizanne Kapp.
Reminiscing about their previous World Cup display, where they lost in the final to Australia last year, Khaka said the team is revved up to emulate their heroics and hopefully win the final in the shorter format.
“We have been working hard as a team and as individuals building up to the World Cup. We just need to go out there and execute as a team,” Khaka said.
“I don’t think we will look much at what we did last time – we want more than that [reaching the final for the first time]. We are going to take it game by game and make sure we execute our plan.
“As a team, we know our standards, but we also will want to be in the final because we know the feeling. It was a great feeling, and we will go into this World Cup with the same mindset.
Interim coach Dillon du Preez has been trusted with the responsibility of steering the ship to the team’s World Cup ambitions since the departure of Hilton Moreeng.
Star batter Laura Wolvaardt will be the captain of the team for the first time in a World Cup.
Proteas Women T20 World Cup final squad:
Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu (uncapped), Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon.
Proteas Women T20 World Cup fixtures:
South Africa vs West Indies (Friday, 4 October)
England vs South Africa (Monday, 7 October)
South Africa vs Scotland (Wednesday, 9 October)
Bangladesh vs South Africa (Saturday, 12 October)
