Zaahier Adams
Proteas interim coach Dillon du Preez believes star all-rounder Marizanne Kapp will not walk away from international cricket just yet. Kapp was visibly distraught after the Proteas succumbed for a successive year in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai on Sunday.
The veteran was inconsolable, with the tears flowing freely, which suggested this could be Kapp’s final major ICC tournament, especially with there still a year to go before India stage the next 50-over women's World Cup in September-October next year and England the women's T20 World Cup in mid-2026.
Du Preez, though, feels the 34-year-old will still be available for Proteas duty going forward.
“I think so (Kapp to play on),” Du Preez said.
“We will probably chat when we get back home. I’m not quite sure of her plans, but I can’t see her calling it now. She is still too good to give up.”
Equally, Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt believes the pain of losing another T20 World Cup final will actually motivate Kapp to keep playing in the hope of finally achieving that winners medal.
“I think it's maybe a good thing that we lost this one,” Wolvaardt remarked.
“I think she's one of the most hungry people I've seen for that World Cup. You can see it in the emotion every time we just don't make it. So yeah, hopefully this makes her hang on for another T20.”
Kapp’s future is not the only one hanging in the balance. Du Preez was appointed on an interim basis until the conclusion of the T20 World Cup after long-serving coach Hilton Moreeng’s 12-year tenure came to end back in June.
The former Bangalore Royal Challengers all-rounder could not provide a definite answer to whether he would be still in charge when England arrive in South Africa before the end of the year, but stated he has enjoyed the experience over the past few months.
“The India tour was one of the toughest tours ever. When we got back we knew we needed to work on things we needed to change,” Du Preez said.
“Luckily, we got buy-in from the players. It hasn’t been easy. Firstly, Pakistan and then here. We went through a lot, played well, so I’m still proud of them.
“Regarding my future, we’ll probably have a chat when we get home. There are a few things we need to sort out. We’ll chat to the players and captain. I would like to give you something, but unfortunately I can’t.”
The 42-year-old also claimed that he was equally emotional about not bringing home South Africa’s first-ever cricket World Cup crown.
“It’s a tough cookie to swallow. Playing that game against Australia got us here, and then we get outplayed by the better team on the night,” Du Preez said.
“What hurts me is not breaking that curse. We want to win a World Cup. And we had the opportunity. As coaches we will go back and look for answers in terms of where we went wrong, or something we need to change.”