Teenagers Meso and Naidu impress Proteas Women's coach with 'fearless type of mindset'

Proteas Women’s coach Mandla Mashimbyi is hoping teenagers Seshnie Naidu and Karabo Meso bring their “fearless type of mindset” with them on the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka.

Naidu (19) and Meso (17) starred for the SA U19 team at the recent ICC U19 Women’s World Cup where the Junior Proteas finished runners-up to India in Malaysia.

Both have played T20I’s for the Proteas before, with leg-spinner Naidu also part of the ICC T20 World Cup squad in the United Arab Emirates last year. However, they have now both been called up, along with uncapped allrounder Miane Smit (20), for the first time to the ODI squad.

The Proteas Women will face hosts Sri Lanka and India in an ODI Tri-Nations Series starting at the end of the month.

“Freshness brings new, good energy with it,” Mashimbyi said. “I think having these youngsters brings great energy. I like the fact that they bring this fearless type of mindset to them. 

“Obviously, getting the young ones in the squad is to expose them to international cricket as much as possible. Because I see them as people that are going to be carrying the flag going forward into the future.”

Mashimbyi expanded on the importance of tournaments such as the ICC U19 Women’s World Cup as it accelerates the development of the youngsters, which has allowed the Proteas to rest stalwarts such as Marizanne Kapp, who "continues her conditioning block in preparation for the subsequent tours and the World Cup in India."

“I think it's important that we look after our pipeline so that our pipeline can look after us,” he said.

“It's key that we look after the U19 set-up because basically those players, most of them will come out of that and go into domestic cricket and then go into the Proteus set-up. 

“So it's key that we make sure that our pipeline is in good standing so that we know that going forward, we've got good players coming through. And that's something maybe we struggled with in the last couple of years.

“There's so many youngsters that I've actually seen that I think they've got potential. It's going to be key for us to make sure that the domestic product in itself is strong so that those players can develop a little bit quicker so that, you know, it gives me more options to look at going forward as well.”

The Proteas have selected two wicket-keeper/batters in their 15-player squad with Meso set to push incumbent Sinalo Jafta hard for a place in the starting XI.

Jafta (30) averages just 12, with a highest score of 28 not out, after 34 ODIs, while her keeping has not been the tidiest of late. 

Mashimbyi was loath to discuss his plans for the upcoming tour, but hinted that he was not averse to playing Meso as a specialist batter alongside Jafta in the same starting XI. 

“I mean, you're asking me questions that I don't really have answers for now,” Mashimbyi admitted. 

“But if she is part of this squad, it means she is part of the bigger plan as well. 

“So that is something that me and the selectors are going to have to sit down and discuss and see how we can run the process properly.

“If we feel we need a batter and she's the one that's available for us to pick, she will get picked as batter.

“Remember, she's a batting all-rounder. She's a better that keeps. So, we're getting the best of both worlds, really.

“And there's nothing stopping us from playing them both in the same team. There's no rule against that. So when the opportunity comes and they have to play together, then they'll play together.

“If it doesn't, then it doesn't. But it won't be because it's one for the other. It will be just because of the balance of the team.”

The Tri-Series will be held between April 27 and May 11, with all matches to be played at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo.

Full Proteas Women squad

Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Nondumiso Shangase, Miane Smitand, Chloe Tryon.