Even though Proteas head coach, Mandla Mashimbyi, explicitly stated that former Proteas captain Dane van Niekerk would not be selected for the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup, it was still surprising — even to a cynical observer — to see her named in the preliminary squad but not in the final team.
South Africa’s women’s side has been on an unprecedented run of success. They’ve reached back-to-back T20 World Cup finals, including one where they entered as favourites. This era is, without question, the most successful in the history of South African women’s cricket. So, far be it from me to casually critique the decisions of those who have guided this team to such heights. But in all my years of following South African cricket, leaving van Niekerk out of the World Cup squad stands out as one of the most baffling decisions I’ve seen.
Fitness is often raised as a factor. It was the very reason she was controversially left out of the 2023 World Cup, and van Niekerk herself has admitted she isn’t at the absolute peak of her physical condition. However, by naming her in the preliminary squad, selectors implicitly acknowledged that she is fit enough to contribute — especially in a system with historically… flexible fitness requirements. If she’s fit enough to be on the radar, she’s fit enough to be picked.
Van Niekerk hasn’t played international cricket for over two years, and perhaps there are concerns about match sharpness. But this isn’t about a theoretical “best version” of van Niekerk. It’s about whether she is currently better than the other available options. The data makes the answer clear.
Last season, she was fourth in T20 run scoring, with 215 runs at an average of 35.83 and a strike rate of 137.82. In the One Day competition, she scored 179 runs at an average of 59.66 and strike rate of 89.94, one of only three players to average over 50 at a strike rate above 85 (minimum 100 runs). Across both formats, she had the third highest batting average and fourth highest strike rate in South African domestic cricket.
Top Batting Averages in South African Women’s Cricket (2024/25)
| Player | Inns | NO | Dismissals | Runs | Combined Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S Luus (TTN-W) | 11 | 5 | 6 | 553 | 92.17 |
| F Tunnicliffe (WprWm) | 15 | 5 | 10 | 560 | 56.00 |
| D van Niekerk (WprWm) | 11 | 2 | 9 | 394 | 43.78 |
| B de Leede (WprWm) | 8 | 0 | 8 | 336 | 42.00 |
| T Brits (LIO-W) | 13 | 1 | 12 | 463 | 38.58 |
| S Viljoen (LIO-W) | 16 | 4 | 12 | 461 | 38.42 |
| K Meso (LIO-W) | 14 | 2 | 12 | 442 | 36.83 |
| L Goodall (WprWm) | 14 | 2 | 12 | 416 | 34.67 |
| AC Candler (DOL-W) | 19 | 1 | 18 | 592 | 32.89 |
| NP Thabethe (LIO-W) | 17 | 3 | 14 | 449 | 32.07 |
Van Niekerk isn’t just competitive — she’s in elite domestic company, sitting third overall by average and fourth by strike rate.
The Bottom Line
Leaving Dane van Niekerk out cannot be justified purely on form or fitness. By the selectors’ own actions, she is fit enough to play, and by the numbers, she is among South Africa’s top seven to nine batters — easily good enough to warrant selection.
At a World Cup, you don’t need to be the absolute best version of yourself. You just need to be better than the other options on the table. By every available metric, van Niekerk is exactly that. Her omission isn’t just a head-scratcher — it’s a decision that risks leaving South Africa’s World Cup campaign short of its most experienced and battle-hardened weapon.
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