Once the face of South African women’s cricket, Dane van Niekerk now stands at a crossroads. Her dream of wearing the green and gold jersey again — especially at the highly anticipated World Cup in India — hinges on ticking a few crucial boxes. With time running out, the spotlight is back on the veteran all-rounder, as her comeback trail becomes one of the most intriguing subplots ahead of the global spectacle.
Van Niekerk, who dramatically retired from international cricket in 2023, has been out of the Proteas frame since missing out on the T20 World Cup squad that was played on home soil. Her exclusion at the time wasn’t a result of form or experience — but rather fitness.
She narrowly missed Cricket South Africa’s benchmark 2km time trial, falling short by a mere 18 seconds. The requirement for female players was nine minutes and 30 seconds, and the former captain clocked in just over it — a moment that sparked national debate and personal reflection.
After spending nearly 18 months away from competitive cricket, van Niekerk returned to the domestic circuit earlier this year, turning out for Western Province in a bid to push her name back into the reckoning. Her performances, particularly in the CSA Women’s Pro20 series, where she stood out as the fourth-highest run-scorer with 215 runs from 6 games, including a century, have been quietly impressive. Yet, the national selectors left her out of the West Indies tour, casting further doubt on her World Cup hopes.
Head coach Mandla Mashimbyi, when asked about her situation, offered some clarity but remained cautious, “To be honest with you we are not in a position to say that she can or cannot make it because she’s not making this tour. Anything can happen. In terms of her being in the plans, I had a chat with her in February about the things that we require for her to actually put her name back into the hat. I’m going to have to follow up with her in terms of what she thinks going forward as well,” said Mashimbyi.
That conversation in February remains pivotal. It seems that a pathway has been outlined, but it’s up to van Niekerk to walk it. Though her omission from the current squad may suggest she’s not in immediate consideration, Mashimbyi hasn’t entirely closed the door on her return.
“In terms of that, she was not part of the plans initially, but you can never count anybody out. When the opportunity presents itself and she’s the one that’s available to make the team, or she’s fit enough to make the team, or she’s where she needs to be, then we can’t control that,” he added.
It’s evident that the current tours serve more than just preparation; they’re part of a broader vision to build depth and explore options. Yet for a seasoned campaigner like van Niekerk — who led with passion, skill, and intelligence for over a decade — the experience she brings can’t be easily dismissed.
“These tours are not cast in stone. It’s also to create depth and to see what other players can do. I’m never going to be a coach that will count a player out. Everybody in domestic cricket who’s done well is still eligible to play World Cups that are coming,” concluded Mashimbyi.
Van Niekerk’s international résumé is nothing short of legendary. Over a 14-year career, she represented South Africa in 107 One Day Internationals, 86 T20 Internationals, and a solitary Test match against India in 2014. She compiled 2,175 runs in ODIs, 1,877 runs in T20Is, and claimed an incredible 204 wickets across formats — with 138 in ODIs, 65 in T20Is, and 1 in Tests.
Her international journey began on 8th March 2009, when she debuted in an ODI against West Indies, followed swiftly by her T20I debut on 11th June 2009. However, her last appearances in the Proteas jersey came in September 2021, both against West Indies — her final ODI on the 19th and T20I on the 4th.
Since then, she has kept herself involved in the game through franchise cricket. She featured in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2023 and played in The Hundred with Oval Invincibles during the 2022 and 2023 editions. Her experience in these leagues has kept her in touch with elite-level competition, further proving that her cricketing IQ and match-readiness may still be of value.
But in the end, fitness and selection policies will dictate whether Dane van Niekerk gets a fairytale return or remains one of the most unfortunate omissions in recent memory. For now, her fate rests in her own hands — and in the unpredictable twists of South African cricket’s selection landscape.
(Quotes sourced from SABC Sport)
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