Women’s World Cup 2022 – South Africa’s 3 key players

The  ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 gets underway on March 4. All the participating teams would be hoping to stake their claim on the coveted prize. South Africa will be one of them as well and they are one of the favourites in this edition after mighty Australia. The ‘Rainbow Nation’ had made the semis of the last 50-overs edition in 2017 and also managed a final four finish at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.

South Africa would be missing skipper Dane van Niekerk who has been ruled out due to an ankle fracture. However, there are a few match-winners to look out for in their side and here are three of them.

Shabnim Ismail: Shabnim Ismail is one of the best pacers to have made a mark in women’s cricket. Ismail is the leading wicket-taker in Women’s ODIs since the 2017 Women’s World Cup with 53 scalps to her name at an economy of 3.77.

The 33-year-old also found a mention in the International Cricket Council’s Women’s ODI Team of the Year and Women’s T20I Team of the Year at the 2021 ICC Awards. The tearaway fast bowler can shatter any batting lineup with her sheer pace.

Marizanne Kapp: Marizanne Kapp would be expected to make a huge contribution with her excellent all-round skills in the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup. The bowling all-rounder has so far scored 2017 runs from 118 ODIs averaging 28.81 and has also picked up 134 wickets at an average of 23.88.

The 32-year-old holds the record for the highest-ever score by a South African in Women’s World Cup history with an unbeaten 102 against Pakistan in the 2013 edition.

Laura Wolvaardt: Laura Wolvaardt will be another key player for the Proteas at the next month’s quadrennial event. Having made her ODI debut way back in February 2016, the 22-year-old has so far amassed 2,482 runs in 66 appearances averaging 44.32.

The Milnerton cricketer had scored four half-centuries to finish with 324 runs in the previous edition of the Women’s World Cup.