Cricket
Nkwe Hails Proteas Women’s World Cup Legacy: Inspiring the Next Generation of Cricketers
Enoch Nkwe praises Proteas Women for their ICC T20 World Cup journey, hoping their legacy will inspire future generations of cricketers in South Africa and beyond. Their impressive performance has attracted interest in cricket betting, with many fans excited to back the team in their upcoming matches.
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Cricket South Africa Director of Cricket, Enoch Nkwe, has lauded the Proteas Women’s team upon their return from the World Cup and hopes their achievements will inspire the next generation to pick up the sport.
THE LEGACY OF THE PROTEAS WOMEN’S TEAM
The runners-up in the recently concluded 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, South Africa Women, touched down at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Tuesday morning, only two days after their loss to New Zealand Women in the World Cup final in Dubai.
As much as the team lost their second successive World Cup final in the space of a year, their efforts have left a ripple effect across South Africa.
Many young girls and boys in South Africa and around the world, would have watched the Proteas Women team throughout the showpiece event and a fire in their bellies would have been ignited, a fire for the sport of cricket and a fire that will inspire them to pick up a bat or a ball in the near future.
Already, the Proteas Women's team has had a massive impact on the country. Following their history-making campaign in the 2023 edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup where they became the first-ever senior South African cricket team to qualify for a World Cup final, Women's domestic cricket was professionalised for the first time.
The professionalisation of Women's domestic cricket has in turn given a platform for cricketers such as the 17-year-old wicket-keeper batter Karabo Meso, the 18-year-old leg-spinner Seshnie Naidu and 20-year-old fast bowler Ayanda Hlubi to be identified and awarded international caps.
Hlubi and Naidu went as far as being included in the Proteas Women's World Cup squad and gained valuable experience.
Moreover, Women's Domestic Cricket received its first-ever title sponsor this season, achieving yet another milestone as a result of the Women's national team's success in the last two years.
BACKING THE TEAM
As a result, Cricket South Africa Director of Cricket, Enoch Nkwe, told the media that as the sport's governing body in the country, they will keep supporting Women's cricket.
"From our side, we'll continue to try and close the gaps," said Nkwe.
From a Cricket South Africa point of view, we want this team to win the World Cup, and we can feel that it's around the corner.
Enoch Nkwe
INSPIRING THE WORLD
However, what was most impressive about the team's campaign this year was how they were able to turn around their fortunes in the World Cup itself having been off form for the whole year leading into the World Cup in Dubai.
South Africa Women won only one T20I series from September 2023 to September 2024, a month before competing in the World Cup in Dubai.
Somehow, Proteas Women were able to pick themselves up and beat the World's most dominant teams including Australia Women to qualify for their second successive World Cup final.
At the end of the tournament, three Proteas Women’s players featured in the team of the tournament including opening batters Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt, and spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba.
Nkwe added that the team's attitude will spire sporting teams all around the world, not just here in South Africa.
"If you look at 12 months ago, what the team had to go through over the last twelve months, for them to still have the belief that they built going into this World Cup, it's been a great example to a lot of sporting teams not only in the country but continentally and globally as well," Nkwe told SportsBoom.com.
"The attitude that they took to this campaign was fantastic. There's no doubt that from a national set-up point of view, it will have a huge impact. It will continue to grow the game and create that awareness. Hopefully, we see more girls through schools, clubs and all different systems pulling in."
Ongama Gcwabe is an experienced Sports Journalist based in South Africa. In his career, Ongama’s work has been published in the country’s biggest newspapers company, Independe Newspapers, and some of the leading news and sports websites including IOL Sport.