Nkwe wants Proteas to be ready for next World Cup
Zaahier Adams
Cricket South Africa's (CSA) director of cricket Enoch Nkwe is optimistic about the future of the Proteas women’s team, claiming that a World Cup victory “is around the corner” following their impressive display at the recent ICC T20 Women’s World Cup in the UAE.
Under the leadership of Laura Wolvaardt, the team reached their second successive T20 World Cup final, though they fell short against New Zealand in Dubai. This follows last year’s defeat to Australia at Newlands.
Nkwe believes that their consistency signals that the Proteas are inching closer to clinching that elusive World Cup title.
“We want this team to win a World Cup. We feel that it’s around the corner. The impact that it will continue to have will be huge,” Nkwe remarked as the team returned to Johannesburg yesterday.
The Proteas Women's team faced numerous obstacles leading into their T20 World Cup campaign. The departure of head coach Hilton Moreeng to the US, the resignation of former captain Sune Luus, and reports of disunity within the camp have all put significant pressure on the squad over the past year.
Despite these challenges, Nkwe expressed immense pride in the team’s ability to achieve such heights in the UAE.
“If you look at 12 months ago … in terms of what the team achieved and what they had to go through in the last year,” he stated. “To still have the belief going into this World Cup is a great example to many teams, not just in the country, but globally as well.
“The attitude they took into this campaign is fantastic. No doubt, from a national setup point of view, it will have a significant impact and grow the game. We hope to see more girls engaged through schools, clubs, hubs, and various systems.”
As the Proteas prepare to host England next month across various formats, they also begin strategising for their upcoming challenge: the ICC ODI World Cup in India. Nkwe emphasised that Cricket SA is committed to ensuring the team will be even better prepared for this next opportunity.
“From our side, we will continue to try and close the gaps during different transition stages from a CSA point of view,” he noted. “We will obviously conduct our internal review with the team, identifying areas where we can improve both on and off the field.
“The turnaround from one World Cup to another is short, so we want to ensure our plans are clear when we arrive in India. The good thing is that the team has already been exposed to those conditions leading up to the T20 World Cup.”