Wolvaardt back where it all began as Proteas take on Pakistan in Benoni

Proteas women captain Laura Wolvaardt marks her 10-year anniversary as an international cricketer this month, returning to the venue where she made her debut when her team takes on Pakistan in the second T20 International at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Friday night (6pm start).

The Proteas lead the series 1-0 after a dream debut from 20-year-old all-rounder Kayla Reyneke and contributions with bat and ball from Wolvaardt and Ayanda Hlubi secured a thrilling last-ball five-wicket victory in Potchefstroom on Wednesday.

Born and raised in Cape Town, Wolvaardt will return to Benoni not as a child prodigy with bucket loads of potential when she made her debut as a 16-year-old against England on 7 February 2016 in a One-Day International, but rather as a brave and fearless leader who has become one of the world’s premier batters across all formats of the game.

It’s crazy

“It’s crazy. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years already, I still remember being a 16-year-old making my debut here in Benoni. I was just happy to get a game, let alone playing for 10 years for my country,” said Wolvaardt ahead of the match.

Over the past decade, Wolvaardt’s rapid development has mirrored the evolution of women’s cricket in that period.

Having represented the Proteas in more than 212 matches and amassed over 8,000 international runs, the current world number one batter in ODI cricket admitted she has come a long way since questioning her readiness for the international stage as a schoolgirl.

“As a 16-year-old, I didn’t have much power, kind of just had a cover drive, and was pretty one-dimensional and batted pretty slow. I don’t quite know if I was ready for international cricket at that stage yet,” admitted Wolvaardt.

“I’ve worked on quite a lot of areas of my game, opening a lot of spaces on the field, getting a bit stronger, working on my power hitting. I really like the way it’s evolved, and I think there’s still so much more room for improvement in the next 10 years, which is exciting.”

Captaincy

In December 2023, Wolvaardt was appointed the permanent captain of the Proteas, going on to lead them as skipper and with bat in hand to two World Cup finals, beginning with the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2024 and South Africa’s maiden 50-over Women’s Cricket World Cup final appearance in India last year.

She believes the added responsibility has enhanced her game in recent years: “It’s been great for my cricket development. I totally think about the game in a different way now.

“Before I was happy to just watch the ball, hit the ball, thinking about myself, my game plan. Whereas now, I’m thinking about conditions, bowlers, what my bowlers are trying to do, what fields I’m trying to set.

“In the game you’re thinking so much about strategy and game plan that I’m not too worried about my batting. My batting is almost like me-time, where I can relax and just bat. I think it’s really taken my mind off the pressures almost.”

When asked what she hopes the next decade will hold in her Proteas career, Wolvaardt said: “Obviously every cricketer wants to win a World Cup. That’s the one main goal that I have in my career. I’ve come so close three times, but it’s exciting to know I still have 10 years to try again.”