South Africa captain Laura Wolfhardt believes her team’s near misses in the ICC events have made the team more determined to win a first women’s world title. The South Africa captain also said that the return of veteran pacer Shabnim Ismail has strengthened the team ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales.South Africa have reached the finals of the ICC T20 World Cup three times in the last three years across men’s and women’s cricket but are still searching for their first ICC Women’s Championship title.
In the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup on home soil, South Africa lost to Australia by 19 runs in the final. A year later in Dubai, they were beaten by New Zealand by 32 points in another final.Before the next tournament, Wolfhardt said that the team is motivated to finally move forward.“Obviously making it to back-to-back T20 World Cups has been very special for us as a team, but I think it has also made us hungrier to go one step further,” Wolfhardt wrote in a column for the ICC.South Africa also finished runners-up in the ICC ODI Women’s Cricket World Cup final in India last year, losing to the co-hosts. However, the team is heading to the T20 World Cup after a 4-1 win in the T20I series at home against Harmanpreet Kaur’s India.
“The India series was another good test against one of the strongest teams in the world,” Wolfhardt said.“Winning this series gave the group a lot of confidence, but more importantly it showed the ability and resilience within the team.She continued: “The players have stepped up at different times, and that is something you need in the World Cup.”Wolvaardt herself had a strong series, scoring 330 runs in five T20Is at a strike rate of 168.37.
Her performances included a century and three half-centuries.“On a personal level, this has been one of the most enjoyable seasons for me,” Wolfhardt said.“I think a big part of that came from clarity in my game and just enjoying my cricket. I’ve tried not to put too much pressure on myself and instead focus on contributing to the team in whatever way is needed.”The South Africans have been further boosted by the return of Ismail, who retired from international cricket after the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup.
The 37-year-old fast bowler returns with 297 international wickets and the form of modern franchise cricket behind her.“Having Shabnim Ismail back is very exciting for us. Everyone knows the quality and experience he brings.”“She is one of the best fast bowlers in the world and someone who can change the game very quickly.”“Along with her skill, she also brings a level of geez (Afrikaans word for liveliness) to the group and I know the team is really happy to have her back in Proteas colors again. Hopefully she will help us go one step further and lift the trophy,” she added.South Africa is in Group A of the Women’s T20 World Cup alongside India, Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands.The tournament will feature a record prize pool of $8,764,615, which is 10 percent more than the 2024 edition.