Tazmin Brits’ journey is one of remarkable resilience. She began as a promising javelin thrower, winning gold at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Ostrava, Czechia. However, her athletic career took a devastating turn due to a car accident in 2011. Yet, while athletics faced a loss, cricket gained a shining star.
That period proved challenging for Brits, leading her to depression and an attempted suicide. She reflected on that time sharing, “I found myself sitting in a bar, funny enough. I mean, people don’t always want to hear that, but that’s where I was sitting, very depressed. Tried to commit suicide also.”
Brits recalled how her determination led her to explore her athletic roots again, “And yeah, one thing led to another. And I actually tried to make a comeback in javelin in 2018, in January, after a bit of recovery and mental toughness to sort everything out.”
Brits’ life took a turn when her friend encouraged her to try cricket as a way of socialising, and she found herself unexpectedly excelling. She shared, “And my mate’s like, why don’t you just go try out? You know, you played a bit of cricket when you were younger, just to get out and socialise. And I was like, I don’t have kids. They like to rock up with your techies (techniques)”.
Brits fully embraced her newfound passion for cricket, making her mark on the sport by breaking into the South African women’s national team. She made her T20I debut against Bangladesh on May 19, 2018, followed by her ODI debut against Pakistan in January 2021.
In 2023, she played a crucial role in leading South Africa to their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup final, amassing an impressive 186 runs and earning the title of the fifth-highest run-scorer in the tournament. Her standout performance in the semi-final against England, where she scored a heroic 68 off 55 balls, was instrumental in South Africa’s historic success.
Reflecting on her journey, Brits believes this was all part of a bigger plan, “And then I was like maybe this is like God’s plan to redirect. I mean, I’ve always loved sports. I even said even if I have to play netball or chess or whatever it’s going to be, I definitely don’t want to sit in the office.”
With 1,385 T20I runs to her name, including a career-best of 81 against India, and 758 ODI runs highlighted by her remarkable 118 against Bangladesh. Commenting on her recent purple patch, Brits shared, “I can’t even answer that for you. I pretty much just go there and see ball, hit ball. I feel like I’m almost Quinton de Kock. If you see a bat, you pick it up, if it feels good, you go with it. I don’t do stats and specs and I’m not one of those bookworms. I’m more like a street-smart person.”
But that isn’t it, Tazmin Brits is focused on achieving future milestones as she looks forward to the potential inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Olympics as a chance to pursue another gold medal. “So yeah, I took the gamble, and I’ve got the Olympic rings, of course, but hopefully with cricket being included in the 2028 Olympics, I’m aiming to push for another four years.”
Her journey highlights transformation. From overcoming a life-altering accident to excelling in cricket, she has inspired many. Her achievements in the sport, coupled with her desire to share her story proves that hope can prevail.
South Africa will next be in action in the United Arab Emirates earlier next month for the T20 World Cup and despite her mother being diagnosed with breast cancer, she remains committed to playing and will play this World Cup for her mother. She said, “My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer just two weeks ago, so it continues. Struggle never ends. But now I know how to handle it. And now I know that you’ve got to keep moving. If you stand still, the world will swallow you in. You’ve got to keep moving.”
(Quotes sourced from ESPN)
