South Africa hungrier for T20 World Cup win after double heartbreak: Laura Wolvaardt
Laura Wolvaardt said South Africa are more motivated than ever to win the Women's T20 World Cup after three successive ICC final defeats, adding that recent heartbreaks have strengthened the team's hunger and resilience.
Laura Wolvaardt said that South Africa are hungrier than ever to win the Women’s T20 World Cup after suffering multiple heartbreaks in ICC finals. The Proteas finished runners-up in 2023 after losing to Australia, before falling short again against New Zealand in the 2024 final. Last year, Wolvaardt’s side endured a third successive ICC final defeat when India beat them in the ODI World Cup final.
Wolvaardt was part of all three campaigns, with several of her impressive knocks ending in disappointment. Reflecting on those finals, the skipper said the experiences were memorable but added that the painful losses have only strengthened South Africa’s motivation to go one step further and finally lift a World Cup trophy.
"Reaching back-to-back T20 World Cup finals has obviously been very special for us as a team, but I think it's also made us even hungrier to go one step further," Wolvaardt wrote in her column for the ICC.
Earlier in March, South Africa suffered a 1-4 series defeat during their tour of New Zealand. However, Wolvaardt and her side bounced back strongly by securing an impressive 4-1 series win over India at home. Wolvaardt said that defeating a powerhouse like India has given South Africa a huge confidence boost ahead.
"The India series was another good test against one of the strongest teams in the world. Winning that series gave the group a lot of confidence, but more importantly, it showed the ability and resilience within the squad. Players stepped up at different times and that's something you need at a World Cup," Wolvaardt added.
PROTEAS STRENGTHENED WITH BIG NAMES
South Africa were not at full strength during the India series, with both Dane van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp unavailable. Van Niekerk was still recovering from a calf injury, while Kapp missed the series due to a persistent illness. Both players have now returned, significantly strengthening the Proteas squad.
Shabnim Ismail has also added extra firepower to the bowling attack after coming out of international retirement. South Africa have been placed in Group A alongside Australia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Netherlands. They will begin their campaign against Australia on June 13 at Emirates Old Trafford.