Former South Africa captain and all-rounder, Dane van Niekerk, has announced her retirement from international cricket. Her decision comes a month and a half after her controversial non-selection in South Africa’s squad for the T20 World Cup at home last month.
Van Niekerk’s retirement will leave a void in South Africa’s cricket, where she represented the country in 107 ODIs, 86 T20Is, and a Test match. She scored a total of 4050 runs and took 204 wickets in all formats.
Here are some of the highlights of her international career: Dane van Niekerk, Former South Africa Captain, Retires from International Cricket
- Van Niekerk captained the team from 2016 to 2021 and led the team to victory in 29 of the 50 one-dayers during her tenure.
- She is South Africa’s most successful captain in ODIs.
- In T20Is, she scored 1877 runs at a strike rate of 94.94 and scalped 65 wickets at an economy rate of 5.45 in 86 games.
- She played a vital role in helping South Africa reach the final of their home World Cup, where they lost to eventual six-time champions Australia.
- She captained the Oval Invincibles to the title in the inaugural Women’s Hundred in 2021.
- She was contracted by Cricket South Africa in 2021, though she did not play a game for the national side after breaking her ankle in January.
- Van Niekerk became the first player from South Africa to take 100 ODI wickets, in 2017.
- She also achieved the unique feat of not conceding a run while picking up four wickets in an ODI against West Indies in 2017.
Van Niekerk’s retirement announcement was made on her Instagram account, where she wrote, “You have to accept that some chapters in our lives have to close without closures. There is no point in losing yourself by trying to fix what’s meant to stay broken.”
Van Niekerk’s wife and fellow South African international, Marizanne Kapp, also took to social media, posting a series of emotional messages in support of her partner.
Dane van Niekerk, Former South Africa Captain Retires from International Cricket
Cricket South Africa (CSA) is yet to make an official announcement regarding Van Niekerk’s retirement. The board is set to announce the national women’s contracts later this month, and it remains to be seen if Van Niekerk would have been offered a contract this year.
Dane Van Niekerk’s retirement is a significant loss to South African cricket, and she will be remembered as one of the most shrewd captains in women’s cricket.
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