Marco Longari/AFP
The Proteas Women are set to kick off their three-match T20 International series against Pakistan at the Multan International Cricket Stadium in Multan on Monday evening.
Captain Laura Wolvaardt says she believes the team is in good shape, despite not having played since July.
"We've had two practice sessions before the first game, but leading up to this, we had a camp in Durban, which is known for its slower conditions. That was good preparation to face a lot of spin. I expect Pakistan to bowl a lot of spin tomorrow, so we've had some good prep against that," says Wolvaardt.
The last time South Africa faced Pakistan, the hosts secured their first-ever series whitewash against the visitors, winning 3-0 in September last year. That victory brought the head-to-head record between the two sides to 11 wins for South Africa, while Pakistan has 10 victories from their 21 previous encounters.
Reflecting on last year's T20I series against Pakistan and the team's subsequent performances in the 2023/24 season, Wolvaardt said: "The last time we were here, and for most of the time since then, we haven't played our best T20 cricket. But I'm excited about this series, mainly to see how far we've come in the last year. It will greatly judge whether the work we've been doing behind the scenes is working.
"The messaging we've been focusing on as a group- I'd love to see that come through in this series. We want to find that extra 10 to 20 runs and defend that extra little bit in the field. This series is also important just to get us up and running again.
Among the players selected for the series against Pakistan and the T20 World Cup is 18-year-old leg-spinner Seshnie Naidu. The Hollywoodbets Dolphins and SA U19 player earned her first national team call after standout performances in domestic and high-performance structures.
“She’s a very exciting young player. Hopefully, she gets a game it would be awesome, especially if we have her in mind to play in the T20 World Cup, depending on how slow conditions are and how spin goes in those conditions. It would be great for her to get a game in this series to get a taste of international cricket before we head over.
“I’ve faced her a couple of times in the nets, and I feel like she has good control for such a young leg-spinner. Very exciting for the future. Hopefully, she gets as much game time as possible,
Fixtures:
Monday, 16 September at 16:00
Wednesday, 18 September at 16:00
Friday, 20 September at 07:00
