Mignon du Preez steps as South Africa women's team captain

27-year-old Mignon du Preez has announced that she will step down as the skipper of the South Africa Women’s team in all formats with immediate effect. The wicket-keeper batsman has led South Africa in 46 ODIs, 50 T20Is and a Test match in her four years longs reign as captain.

According to her, she took decided to step down to focus more on her batting. She will be succeeded by leg-spinner Dane van Niekerk.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision and took a lot of introspection, but ultimately I believe that this is the best step forward not only for myself, but for the team,” du Preez said.

“Stepping down from the captaincy role will give me an opportunity to work on my own game, which has taken a downturn in the last couple of seasons. I believe I can make a better contribution by putting runs on the board, and offering support and advice to the next captain.”

Also, read – PCB drops the idea of hiring a PR firm in England

At 23, van Niekerk already has considerable international experience, having played 56 ODIs, 57 T20Is and a Test match. She described the appointment as “the biggest honour of [her] career so far”.

“Captaining my country has been a dream since I began playing cricket, and I am humbled that CSA have chosen me for the job,” van Niekerk said. “I would like to thank Mignon for paving the way and bringing the team this far. I look forward to filling her shoes as best I can and moving the team forward.”