Dané van Niekerk fails to make Proteas’ T20 World Cup squad

Proteas captain and EP all-rounder Dané van Niekerk was a notable omission when the Proteas Women’s squad for the ICC T20 World Cup in SA was announced in East London on Tuesday.

Cricket SA’s National Pathway Selection Panel confirmed the 15-player squad for the February 10-26 tournament and Van Niekerk’s absence raised eyebrows among the media contingent.  

Regular skipper Van Niekerk, 29, missed out on eligibility for selection after an unsuccessful bid to meet the national benchmark standards in the physical battery assessment.

The team will now be captained by all-rounder Suné Luus, with Chloé Tryon continuing her role as vice-captain.

The pair are now leading SA in their Women’s T20 International Tri-Series against India and the West Indies in East London, with all three nations preparing for the global showpiece.  

SA squad: Suné Luus (Titans, capt), Chloé Tryon (Dolphins, v-capt), Anneke Bosch (North West), Tazmin Brits (Badgers), Nadine de Klerk (WP), Annerie Dercksen (Badgers), Lara Goodall (WP), Shabnim Ismail (Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (WP), Marizanne Kapp (EP), Ayabonga Khaka (Lions), Masabata Klaas (North West), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Dolphins), Delmi Tucker (WP), Laura Wolvaardt (WP). Non-travelling reserves: Micaela Andrews (Badgers), Tebogo Macheke (Titans) and Tumi Sekhukhune  (Lions)

SA fixtures:

February 10:  SA vs Sri Lanka (Cape Town, 7pm)  

February 13: SA vs New Zealand (Paarl, 7pm)

February 18: SA vs Australia (Gqeberha, 7pm)

February 21: SA vs Bangladesh (Cape Town, 7pm)