Dane Van Niekerk excluded from home tri-series against India and West Indies, Sunne Luus named South Africa Women captain

South Africa women’s team’s iconic skipper Dane Van Niekerk has shockingly missed out on selection for the upcoming tri-series between India and the West Indies and the side will be led by Sunne Luus. Meanwhile, the Proteas have included a couple of uncapped players for this series- All-rounder Annerie Dercksen and wicketkeeper-batter Tebogo Macheke.

The upcoming series starting Thursday, January 19 will be the Proteas’ first-ever international assignment since the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. They will be hoping to make the most of this tri-series as they gear up to host this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Dane Van Niekerk who was out of action last year due to a leg injury could not come back to the South African team. She failed to meet the national benchmark standards which was an eligibility criteria for selection.

Dane has progressed very well and it's a step in the right direction: CSA Convenor of Selectors

"Dane has progressed very well and it's a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, she did not meet the minimum national standards and therefore is ineligible for selection and we will continue working on her fitness as we continue through the tri-series, to assess her eligibility for the World Cup," said CSA Convenor of Selectors Clinton du Preez as quoted by Cricbuzz.

It now remains to be seen whether Dane would succeed in finding a place in the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup. The Proteas had made the semis under Dane Van Nierkerk in the 2020 edition down under where they agonizingly went down to the eventual champions Australia in a rain-curtailed semi-final.

With South Africa not able to breach the last four stage in global women’s cricket tournaments over the years, the 2023 edition seems to be a perfect opportunity for them to create history by banking on their home advantage.

They will face India in the first game of the tri-series. The Women in Blue who finished as the CWG 2022 silver medalists come into this series after a 1-4 loss to the Aussies at home last month.

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