The Proteas women are coming to terms with top player Lizelle Lee’s retirement. Photo: Steve Poole/ProSports/Shutterstock/BackpagePix
Cape Town - THERE is much to be said about Cricket SA and their decision to withdraw the Proteas men’s team from a one-day international series in Australia in favour of hosting a domestic T20 tournament, but my focus is instead on the Proteas Women’s team.
For the past two years, Hilton Moreeng’s side have been the darlings of the nation. They were virtually the single ‘feel-good’ factor during the period when the beleaguered Cricket SA were desperate for any positive news.
Unfortunately, the wheels are coming off in spectacular fashion on the current tour of England. It was always going to be a testing examination, particularly due to the multi-format nature, with the Proteas playing their first Test in over eight years.
But it is not only the disappointing results – the Proteas have yet to win a match on tour – but the manner in which everything has unravelled.
The excitement of playing a rare Test match was dimmed when experienced seamer Ayabonga Khaka declared herself unavailable on the eve of the first day. The Proteas were already without Chloe Tryon and Shabnim Ismail, and Dane van Niekerk through injury.
It seemed bizarre that Khaka’s decision was made public at such late notice. But this was only the early signs of what was fast becoming a fragmented tour party.
And that’s when the bombshell dropped – Lizelle Lee retired from international cricket.
Lee is the ICC ODI Player of the Year after a stellar 2021 season, and was expected to play a major role in the ODI series and upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Lee did not divulge reasons for quitting, except for saying that “I feel that I am ready for the next phase in my career and will continue to play domestic T20 cricket around the world”.
Lee’s retirement sent shockwaves through the Proteas dressing-room, with star all-rounder Marizanne Kapp admitting that “I have been struggling. Mentally, I have not been in the best space the last week or so, especially with Lizelle’s retirement”.
The drama was not done yet after Lee took to social media to respond to Moreeng’s claim that he was not aware that Cricket SA were intending to refuse the opener a Non-Objection Certificate (NOC) that is required to play in The Hundred.
Lee tweeted: “He was definitely aware. I told him in person and it was said in a meeting with CSA.”
She did however clarify that Moreeng was “not in that meeting”.
Cricket SA have sent out a further statement in an attempt to absolve both parties, but its only success has been to pour more petrol on a raging fire.
There seems to be a clear disparity between the “seniors” and the “juniors” in the squad, and further high-profile retirements cannot be discounted before the tour has run its course.
Equally, Cricket SA need to do everything in their power to convince
Van Niekerk that returning to the Proteas environment after having recovered from her long-term injury remains a better prospect than joining Lee on the global T20 franchise circuit.
There are many things still wrong with the women’s game in South Africa, particularly in terms of remuneration, medical support and training facilities in comparison to their men counterparts.
But the national team is a professional environment, and everyone involved needs to start behaving in such a manner before all the good work of the past few years is destroyed.
@ZaahierAdams