Exclusive: Proteas Women Target First-Ever ODI World Cup Final Under Laura Wolvaardt’s Leadership

Proteas women’s captain Laura Wolvaardt told SportsBoom.co.za that the team is looking to unite South Africa with a successful ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup campaign and inspire the next generation of women’s cricketers in the country.

Inspiring Mzansi

Many tend to forget that the real record setters in South African cricket are the Proteas women. 

A little over two years ago, the Proteas women became the first team to play in the World Cup final when they played Australia women in the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Newlands in Cape Town.

A year later, this same team became the first and only senior South African cricket team to play in two World Cup finals when they played against New Zealand Women in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE.

Now, captain Laura Wolvaard has the opportunity to lead this side to the country’s first-ever ODI World Cup final as the team is currently wrapping up preparations for the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in India and Sri Lanka starting this week.

In an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.co.za, Wolvaardt allowed herself to dream a little, dreaming about what winning the 13th edition of the Women’s World Cup would mean to South Africa, to Mzansi and the young girls and boys back at home.

"(Winning the World Cup) would be massive. Obviously, ODI World Cups come around every four years, so it’s a very rare opportunity. It's something that every cricketer dreams of, winning a World Cup and ODI World Cup, probably even more so,” Wolvaardt told SportsBoom.co.za.

“Just to see what the men have done with the World Test Championship, how it sort of unites the country and how many people have rallied behind them, and we're so proud of them. So, hopefully, we can unite the country and make everyone proud as well. I think it would be so massive for the women's game in the country as well.”

Form & leading from the front

The skipper is fresh from her ninth ODI century in the recently concluded One-Day International series against Pakistan women in Lahore.

The century was her first this year, as she endured a lean patch during the tours of Sri Lanka and the West Indies earlier this year.

As the leader of the team and the opening batter, Wolvaardt would want to lead from the front in the upcoming World Cup by scoring big runs for the team.

“Probably, I haven't had the best year with the bat. But I think heading into a tournament, I think I just need to be really clear on my plans and what I want to achieve,” Wolvaardt said.

“Obviously, my game has sort of been built on batting for long periods of time, but I've been trying to incorporate being a bit more aggressive early on, bringing in T20 options a bit earlier in that power play because we have a really strong batting lineup and there are a lot of people batting behind me."

“So I'm going to try and get a move on a bit more, which may mean that I go out a bit earlier sometimes. But I think I'm attempting to be a bit more aggressive in the way that I play. So, hopefully I'm able to do that.”

Track record & Team Confidence

For the first time, South Africa heads into a World Cup event with a unique track record. The team now believes that they can make it to the final of such showpiece events, having played in two in the past two years.

Wolvaardt acknowledged that not only do they have an in-form squad, including Tazmin Brits, who is fresh from two back-to-back centuries, but that they are the most confident they have been ahead of a World Cup event. 

“I think it definitely gives us a bit of confidence knowing that we have the ability to make finals. I think before that was a bit of a barrier we hadn't broken. So, just knowing in the back of my mind that we do have the skills and the ability to make it, I think just gives us a little bit of confidence,” said Wolvaardt.

“But at the same time, it's a long tournament. We're going to really have to take it one game at a time. I don't think we can expect to make the final; rather, we have to really take it game by game because subcontinent conditions really bring a lot of the teams into the competition."

“I think we've got a really good 15 that are over here. A really good balance of all-rounders as well. Makes my life as a captain a bit easier when, you know, seven or eight of the batters can bowl."

"A lot of people are in form. Tazmin is on two 100s on the trot, and I think these conditions really suit players like Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloe Tryon, and some of our spin attacks. So, I'm really looking forward to it and really excited to see them perform.”

South Africa will get their World Cup campaign underway against England Women on 03 October.