Laura Wolvaardt takes up Proteas captaincy for now

Laura Wolvaardt will lead the Proteas on their forthcoming tour of Pakistan, ending a protracted period of talks after the announcement of the squad last week.

Wolvaardt, 24, will also be in charge of the team for the home series against New Zealand that starts in late September. According to a statement from Cricket SA, the position will then be reviewed — which Wolvaardt has agreed to. 

Wolvaardt takes over from close friend, Sune Luus, who asked to stand down as captain to focus on her cricket. With vice-captain Chloe Tryon requesting not to be considered for the Pakistan tour, Cricket SA’s selectors were left with few candidates for the captaincy position.

Wolvaardt, who emerged as a teen star at the 2017 World Cup in England, has been the Proteas’ most consistent batter and was one of the main reasons the team finished as runners-up in the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Her two half-centuries in the semifinal and final were among the best innings of that tournament. 

“It’s a huge honour to be offered this position as captain for the next two tours,” said Wolvaardt.

“It’s something I have always aspired to do, having played in this team for a few years. It’ll help me as a cricketer and learning to think as a captain on the field will hopefully help my batting too.”

After a host of retirements in the past two years, including those of two captains — Mignon du Preez and Dane van Niekerk — the Proteas women’s team is going through a notable period of transition. It has left Wolvaardt, who made her ODI debut at 16 in 2016, as one of the senior players.    

“I’d like to think of myself as quite calm and level-headed and that’s probably the approach I'll try to take on the field as a captain,” said Wolvaardt, who put her medical studies on hold to pursue an international cricket career. 

She has played 80 ODIs and 53 T20 Internationals. In addition she has become a much sought-after player on the international franchise circuit, representing teams in the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, The Hundred in England and the Women’s Premier League in India.

“It is very new to me but I am keen to learn and do everything I can to do well in the position. I am lucky I have a few senior players in the squad around me too, who would be able to help me and guide me if I do need help along the way,” she said. 

The SA squad departs for Pakistan on Saturday and will play three T20 Internationals followed by a three-match ODI series that forms part of the ICC Women’s Championship, a competition that will decide the automatic qualifiers for the 2025 50-over World Cup. 

In September, the Proteas will face New Zealand in another three-match ODI series that also forms part of the Women’s Championship. After that the teams will play five T20Is. 

Hilton Moreeng has been retained as head coach in an interim capacity until the end of 2023. Moreeng was first appointed head coach in 2012, but his last contract expired in June. Cricket SA is understood to be on the lookout for a new coach, something many of the senior players are keen for. 

Besides the series with Pakistan and New Zealand, the Proteas will also play home series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in December and then embark on a lengthy tour of Australia next January that will include a Test match.