According to a statement made on Thursday by Cricket South Africa, Laura Wolvaardt has been named the team’s interim captain for the upcoming series against Pakistan and New Zealand. The choice was made in response to vice-captain Chloe Tryon’s absence from the Pakistan tour and Sune Luus’ resignation from her role after nearly two years of filling in for Dane van Niekerk.
Since 2017, Luus has served as South Africa’s temporary captain for 34 One Day Internationals (ODI), 34 Twenty20 Internationals (T20I), and the lone Test the squad played against England in 2018. Since joining the South African team in 2016, Wolvaardt has played in 53 T20 matches, 80 ODIs, and 1 Test. The 24-year-old batter’s standing will be reassessed after the series against New Zealand, the board added.
Since van Niekerk announced her retirement from international cricket in March of this year, shortly after being dropped from the World Cup squad for failing a fitness test, South Africa has been without a permanent captain. However, the board has decided to stop using fitness tests as selection criteria, leaving it up to the coaches to make those choices. As a result, numerous well-known senior players, including van Niekerk, may decide to come out of retirement.
Wolvaardt commented in response to her selection: “It’s a tremendous honor to be awarded this position as captain for the next two trips. After playing for this squad for a while, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve wanted to assume a more leadership-oriented position. It will benefit me as a cricket player, and I hope that developing the captain’s thinking on the pitch will benefit my batting as well.
“I’m thrilled to be able to contribute in more than just batting; there are other ways, too. When I finally meet the crew in Pakistan, everything will feel more real than it does right now. The experience I have on the side is what I can add to the role. I’ve been playing cricket in recent years and hope to be able to use my experience and knowledge to my advantage when I captain the team. I’ve been playing international cricket since I was 16 years old, I know quite a few players in the circuit, and I’ve been playing in leagues as well.”
I like to think of myself as being pretty composed and level-headed, and that’s probably more how I try to act as a captain on the pitch. Although it is extremely new to me, I am eager to learn and will make all effort to perform well in the role. Wolvaardt continued, “I am fortunate to have a few older players in the squad around me who would be able to help me and direct me if I do need help along the way.
Congratulations to Laura on being named captain of the Proteas Women’s squad for the future tours, said Enoch Nkwe, CSA Director of Cricket. Laura’s commitment, leadership skills, and cricketing prowess have always been apparent.
