New Delhi: Karabo Meso, Seshnie Naidu, and Miane Smit have earned their maiden call-ups to the South Africa women’s ODI team for the upcoming tri-series, scheduled from April 27 to May 11 in Sri Lanka.
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The tri-series will be held at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, where South Africa will face hosts Sri Lanka and India in round-robin matches.
Karabo and Seshnie were part of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup this year and have already entered the senior T20I women’s team. Miane was a traveling reserve for the South Africa team at last year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, where the team finished as runners-up.
Strategic Selection for the ODI Squad
“We’ve taken a measured and strategic approach in selecting this ODI squad, bearing in mind the conditions we’ll be playing in and the nature of our opposition. The decision to go with four seamers and five to six spin options is reflective of our assessment of the surfaces, where we believe a balanced attack will be key to success,” said Clinton du Preez, convenor of selectors.
“This ODI series forms a critical part of our build-up to the World Cup. It’s about building depth, enhancing role clarity, and ensuring that every player is clear on their contribution towards our collective goals,” du Preez added.
Return of Nondumiso Shangase and Squad Changes
Nondumiso Shangase also returns to the ODI squad for the first time since last year’s tour of India. The four newcomers have been included in the squad in place of seamer Ayanda Hlubi, wicketkeeper Mieke de Ridder, and opening batter Lara Goodall.
As announced by Cricket South Africa (CSA), all-rounder Marizanne Kapp will miss the tri-series as she continues her conditioning block in preparation for upcoming tours and the ODI World Cup in India.
Coach’s Thoughts on the Squad
“It’s a very good squad. The mixture of youth and experience helps. It’s an opportunity for these girls to show what they can do. Hopefully, whatever we’ve covered at the camp can be applied in Sri Lanka when we take the field. For me, it’s not an opportunity for Karabo, Miané, and Seshnie anymore. It’s an opportunity for us to give them exposure at this level,” said head coach Mandla Mashimbyi.
“Going forward and for the bigger picture, it’s important that we expose them as much as possible to international cricket. This tour is an opportunity for us to check where the team is at. It’s a work in progress. We want to get to a point where when we get to India in September, we are where we need to be as a team. But from a skill point of view, there’s still a bit of work to do, and that’s what we’re busy with at the moment,” Mashimbyi added.
South Africa Squad for Tri-Series:
- Laura Wolvaardt (Captain)
- Anneke Bosch
- Tazmin Brits
- Nadine de Klerk
- Annerie Dercksen
- Sinalo Jafta
- Ayabonga Khaka
- Masabata Klaas
- Suné Luus
- Karabo Meso
- Nonkululeko Mlaba
- Seshnie Naidu
- Nondumiso Shangase
- Miané Smit
- Chloé Tryon
