Dané van Niekerk is hoping she can prove herself at a camp in Durban this week.
Attempting to return to the international game after a two-year absence, all-rounder Dané van Niekerk admits she has some hard work ahead to meet the standards required to be included in the Proteas squad for the Women’s World Cup starting at the end of next month.
After retiring from international cricket in 2023, it was confirmed on Monday that Van Niekerk had reversed her decision after she was included in a 20-member training squad for a national camp in Durban this week.
And though she has continued playing at domestic level over the last couple of years, Van Niekerk admitted she needed to up her game if she hoped to compete again for the Proteas.
“I’ve seen the standards over these last two years… I’ve been watching the players with their skills and there’s a massive difference,” Van Niekerk said.
“So I think for me it’s just about seeing where I’m at when it comes to that, and I know I’m probably not where everyone is at the moment, but I understand where I need to be for the team.
“It’s going to be a lot of hard work but I definitely wouldn’t have gone through all of this if I wasn’t willing to put that in, so I think this (camp) is almost a baseline for me to gauge where I’m at when it comes to the physical side and the skills side.”
Motivated to make a comeback
A former Proteas captain who played 194 international matches between 2009 and 2021, Van Niekerk said she had missed being part of the national squad.
With her wife Marizanne Kapp still playing a key role for the Proteas, and with Van Niekerk having done some work as a cricket commentator, she still felt an attachment to the national team.
But she was motivated to revive her international career and play a more direct role, particularly after the tragic loss of a family member.
“It’s been two years, and out of the game I just realised how much I miss it,” she said.
“Seeing the success of the team makes you proud and you want to be part of that, so I think that’s kind of the main reason.
“And recently I went through something quite traumatic in my family. My dad passed away and that gave me the new ‘why’… so I think now is the right time and I want to get back contributing to this environment.”
