Former captain Dane van Niekerk described herself as “broken” on Tuesday after being neglected of South Africa’s squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup in her house nation.
The 29-year-old was missed for the match, which begins in Cape Town on February 10, as a result of she failed to fulfill minimal health requirements, in line with chief selector Clinton du Preez.
“Dane was given an extensive opportunity to meet the minimum criteria or the fitness benchmark,” he mentioned.
One of the health exams requires ladies cricketers to run two kilometres in 9 minutes 30 seconds. ESPN Cricinfo reported that Van Niekerk missed the goal by 18 seconds.
“It’s purely based on the not meeting of the fitness criteria that she’s missed out,” mentioned du Preez.
Van Niekerk, who was named certainly one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year final 12 months, has lengthy been thought to be certainly one of South Africa’s main gamers as a top-order batter, leg-break bowler and revered captain.
She broke an ankle in an accident at house in November 2021 and has not performed in worldwide cricket since then, though she did characteristic in The Hundred in England final 12 months.
Van Niekerk posted an Instagram image quickly after the crew was introduced with the caption, “Absolutely BROKEN.”
Leading all-rounder Marizanne Kapp, who’s married to Van Niekerk and was chosen for the World Cup, retweeted her spouse’s publish with the caption, “One of the best captains in world cricket.”
She continued in Afrikaans, “You will be missed.” Kapp added a coronary heart emoji and one other denoting a damaged coronary heart.
Van Niekerk missed choice for a triangular match involving India and West Indies earlier this month but it surely had been broadly anticipated she would return for the World Cup.
While the tri-series was being performed, Van Niekerk posted an image of herself batting within the nets in East London, saying it had been “a tough few weeks” and thanking the individuals who had been serving to her regain health.
Reaction on social media was overwhelmingly in help of Van Niekerk. Fast bowling nice Dale Steyn commented, “I missed my 2km time by seconds, must mean I’m s***”.
Sune Luus will captain the South African crew on the World Cup.
Source web site: sportstar.thehindu.com
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