NEWS
Follow UsIt is going to be a bit of a Deja Vu, said Laura Wolvaardt when asked about what she feels about facing Australia, the team that beat them in the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023. One year down the line, the two teams will meet each other in the semi-final of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 on October 17 (Thursday).
But the 25-year-old was confident enough that if her team plays their best cricket, the six-time champions Aussies are beatable.
“Brings back a little bit of Deja vu just a year ago, having to face him in the final. I think a lot has happened since then, though. We had the two wins against them earlier this year, so I think that just gives a bit of a positive energy in the camp knowing that if we play our best cricket, they are beatable,’ Wolvaardt said in the pre-match press conference on October 16 (Wednesday).
Talking about the changes South Africa have made ever since that loss in the final, the skipper said, “We've also had a bit of a change in staff. We've got a batting coach, a fielding coach. Hilton's no longer with us. A couple of fresh faces, fresh ideas. I feel like we've really hit our stride in this World Cup and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.”
Since the women’s team made it to the final, the first-ever senior ICC World Cup final for the nation, their rugby union team won the World Cup, and the Proteas made it to the final of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 as well. Wolvaardt was excited about the opportunity to play back-to-back finals and make the nation proud.
“My mom keeps texting me that she's been to the dentist today and the dentist is asking about our game tomorrow and that he's super excited. I think it's an amazing opportunity we have tomorrow to have all those eyes on us and hopefully, we can do them proud,” she said.
Since Wolvaardt has become the captain, she also has to motivate the team members in every game and to come up with creative ideas is a difficult proposition for her. But she has got a helping hand in Paul Adams whom she cannot thank enough for the support.
“We've had Paul Adams as sort of our chief motivator, as we call him, in the group. And every game he's come up with something creative and new. So, hopefully, I can take some advice from whatever he says tomorrow.
"He just looks like he loves it. Every meeting there's some kind of a video about birds that fly together and stick together and teamwork and all of that stuff. Today we had a video about ebbs and flows and going with the game so he's very creative.
He always reads into things, and yeah, he's been great for the group I think we've sort of needed someone to really pump us up and bring out a little fun element each game as well, which has been awesome,” she said about Adams, the former Proteas player who represented the country at the highest level in 45 Tests and 24 ODIs.
There could be a meeting between the friends when Wolvaardt will most likely be paired up with Tahlia McGrath at the toss. Both of them have played for the Adelaide Strikers where the Australian has led the South African.
“She’s a very good captain at Strikers and has led us well the last couple of seasons, winning those two titles. If she is captain tomorrow, I think it'll be pretty cool for the both of us,” Wolvaardt said about the possible clash.
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