OPINION: Should CSA be trying to get Lizelle Lee back into Proteas mix?

The South African women’s cricket team, the Proteas, have come close to winning a global title over the last few years but just like the men’s team, that glory has eluded them.

Something has just been missing. What that exactly is we’ll never know. Perhaps it will all come together in India and Sri Lanka over the coming weeks.

But while the men are in action in the T20 World Cup, the women’s side take on Pakistan in South Africa in three T20s this week, starting in Potchefstroom on Tuesday, in what is part of the build-up to the women’s T20 World Cup in the UK in June and July.

Now the good news is Dané van Niekerk has come out of retirement to bolster the Proteas white-ball team, and she’s already made a big impact, but imagine if the selectors, or whoever is in charge, were also able to lure Lizelle Lee out of retirement ahead of the tournament later this year.

Both Van Niekerk and Lee retired a few years ago, more or less at the same time, because of their dissatisfaction with weight and fitness standards imposed by Cricket South Africa.

I’m sure Van Niekerk looks back at her time out of the game and feels she missed out, and that something could have been done to sort the issue out. Does Lee feel the same? Would she still be interested in representing the Proteas?

Lee could provide a boost

The reality is, if they haven’t done it already or aren’t doing it now, CSA should be trying to get her back in the mix as well.

Lee is not only a prolific batter at the top of the order, who’d boost the Proteas lineup, but she is also a wicket-keeping option.

When Lee retired in July 2022 a few months earlier she’d been named ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year.

In the recent (Indian) Women’s Premier League she was fourth top run-scorer with 320 runs in 10 matches, with a highest score of 86 and strike-rate of 139.

Now imagine a Proteas batting order of Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Britz, Van Niekerk, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon …