South Africa Women have been among the most consistent teams to have never won a World Cup. They made the T20 World Cup final in 2023 and 2024, and then in 2025, they also made the ODI World Cup final. So many heartbreaks can take a toll on any team and any player. However, these experiences have just made them stronger and it feels as though a big tournament win is not that far away.

Experience is going to be key for the Proteas Women to go all the way. In a massive tournament like this, experience, without a doubt, could be the difference between finishing as finalists once again and getting your hands on that coveted trophy. After all, van Niekerk is the second-highest run-getter for South Africa in T20Is, and her leg-breaks have fetched her 65 wickets – the fifth-highest for her country.

Shabnim Ismail, their leading T20I wicket-taker, returned to the fold recently, after announcing her retirement in 2023. Former South Africa captain Dane van Niekerk was another massive figure who agreed to reverse her retirement to further add to the team’s depth.

Niekerk played her first World Cup at the age of 16, and now she is set to take the field in what will be her 10th.

The Crichub caught up with Van Niekerk ahead of the T20 World Cup, where she spoke in detail about her decision to reverse her retirement, her brief commentary stint, her skipper, Laura Wolvaardt and much more.

The Crichub (TCH): South Africa have been among the consistent teams over the last 2-3 World Cups. Finalists in the T20 World Cup last two occasions and an ODI World Cup final appearance as well. But you think the team is more determined now than ever to go all the way? What more do you think the team needs to do to get their hands on that coveted trophy?

Dane van Niekerk (DVN): Definitely, I think the team is determined to go one further. I mean, it’s been devastating to watch the team miss out so close in finals. Being there for the heartbreaks, and it’s never nice. Definitely, there’s a determination around that. I just think we need to get the monkey off the back. I don’t think we can do more. It was just not meant to be the previous times. Hopefully, this time around, it is meant to be. But we just need to not think too far ahead, and just make sure we do the right things during this World Cup.

TCH: Tell me about your group. It’s a tad tricky, isn’t it? India, Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh and the Netherlands are there as well. What are your thoughts on that?

DVN: Yeah, it’s definitely not an easy group. We’ve played against most of these teams, haven’t been playing against Netherlands a lot. The other teams in the recent past, so yeah, it’s definitely not an easy one. But we know if we are at our best, we can really dominate these games and hopefully come out with a W. But as I said, it’s definitely not an easy group. It is tricky, as you say. We’re just going to have to be at our best.

TCH: How great it is to have someone of the stature of Shabnim Ismail back in the side? How crucial will her experience be in helping South Africa go all the way?

DVN: Yeah, it’s obviously awesome to have Sibs back. We needed that strike bowler. She’s got express pace. We needed that with Marizanne [Kapp] and Ayabonga [Khaka]. You know, with the new ball, her experience obviously speaks for itself. She also has very good experience here in England.

Played a lot of cricket, has some really good memories here as well with the Hundred. You can’t buy experience. We always say that, so it’s just awesome to have her in and around the team and then obviously bowling those thunderbolts.

TCH: Tell me about your decision to reverse your retirement. It must have been a blow for you not to be picked for the World Cup back then. How did you cope with that and how challenging was it to return to the fold both physically and mentally, more so after you weren’t picked for the 2025 World Cup after reversing your retirement decision?

DVN: When I retired, obviously, I didn’t think I was going to come back, but I really missed the game. I was obviously indirectly still, I guess, connected to the team through Marizanne [Wife and teammate]. I watched all of their games, supported and those things, but I really missed it.

Then obviously the passing of my dad just kind of, fueled that fire to come back. That was obviously challenging physically and mentally to come back. Obviously, a lot of things have changed. The intensity is through the roof. So, I had to obviously pull up my socks and work really hard, especially physically.

Mentally, it’s been obviously a roller coaster. If you’re away from the game for so long, there are a lot of doubts and stuff still. Are you still good enough? Not? But yeah, maybe did the right things and that’s why I’m here. It’s the conversations I’ve had with coach Mandla [Mashimbyi]. So [he said] if I did the right things, I’d get picked and I think I did. So, yeah. It wasn’t in the 2025 World Cup. It was never on the cards to play the 2025 World Cup. I was never admitted. It was just getting back into the fold and then from there, just see how things go. So, that didn’t bother me too much.

TCH: You’ve openly spoken about mental health in the past and what you had to overcome to continue playing at the highest level. Do you think mental health should be taken more seriously in modern-day sports? What changes would you suggest in that department?

DVN: I think it’s something that we should take seriously. When I heard somebody was struggling mentally, I was like, That can’t be. It’s just another excuse, but going through it myself, [I could feel] it is a real thing. I think cricket takes so much of your life that it’s almost like that’s your identity, and if that gets taken away, you kind of struggle, because you kind of don’t know who you are. I don’t think there should be any changes. I just think people shouldn’t be afraid to pick up their hands and say they’re struggling because to go through it alone is pretty dark. Don’t try to be too brave. But I think we are moving into a space in that department where it is more talked about, and players are picking up their hands a little bit more.

TCH: You then turned to commentary for the 2023 World Cup. How was that experience and had you not returned to play for South Africa, would you have continued being a commentator? Did the commentary stint give you a new perspective on the game of something that you picked up and used later when you made a comeback?

DVN: I really enjoyed the commentating, to be honest. It wasn’t an ideal 2023. I would have wanted to play it, but that obviously didn’t happen. That’s a space where I want to go into, definitely as a commentator after cricket. I like reading the game, and then, it’s a job where you can speak about the game, which I really love. But I wouldn’t say it gave me a perspective, it just made me realise how much I miss playing because it’s different to sit and speak about the game than to play the game. So, I just felt like I loved every moment of it, and it was a really great experience for me, and hopefully, I can continue doing it in my off-time. But I still just miss being on the park. So I think that’s the perspective it gave me.

TCH: You’ve played over 10 World Cups for South Africa since 2009 and are easily the most experienced player on that front in the side. As you’ve played over the years, do you feel extra pressure or you have always treated it as any other game or series?

DVN: ​I think there’s always pressure going into a World Cup, no matter if it’s your first World Cup or your 10th World Cup, or your 20th World Cup. There’s always pressure. I try not to think of it as the be-all and end-all, but it is. Just kind of take it as it comes and take every game in its stride and not try to think too far ahead and make it almost more tense than it kind of is. So, I just think, it doesn’t matter how many games you’ve played for your country in a World Cup. A World Cup is still special, so there is pressure, but it’s a good it’s a good pressure, if that makes sense.

TCH: A word on Laura Wolvaardt. As a former captain yourself, how do you think she has fared over the years, both as the leader of the side and also a batter? How much have you enjoyed playing under her since your return?

DVN: Coming back into the fold, playing under Wolfie, I’ve really enjoyed it. She’s obviously the complete opposite of me, quiet, but she still demands a lot of respect. So, she has a lot of respect within the side. She leads from the front. She’s a world-class batter. She’ll go down as a legend of the game. So, with her leading from the front with her bat, you know, it inspires the rest of the team to want to do that as well. She’s mature beyond her years.

Since day one, she came into the side as a youngster, and she’s only grown and grown into the leader she is today. Really enjoying it, and, had some really have good conversations, and yeah, the results speak for itself, when it comes to her as a captain.

TCH: Tell me about your journey in cricket. You were playing in a World Cup at 16, which must have been very exciting. How did you decide to take up cricket professionally? Anyone who inspired you to take up the sport?

DVN: We always grew up with cricket, so you know, we played in the backyard with my brother, my dad. My dad absolutely loved cricket and rugby. He didn’t play, but he loved it. So, we grew up watching it and going to games and stuff, so I never thought when I started that it would become a professional cricketer. Kind of just played for the love of it. I think my family inspired me to take up the sport. My dad saw the talent and he took me to a club, so probably give him the credit. It was not a decision to take it up professionally at that time. I think now it’s something you can think of as a career, but at that time, we didn’t really think of it being professional. It’s just that we really loved playing the game.

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