Johannesburg [South Africa], May 26 : South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt said that the runners-up finishes in the past two ICC Women's T20 World Cups have made their side even more "hungrier" to lift their maiden title. She also spoke on the excitement to have veteran pacer Shabnim Ismail back in the side after she reversed her international retirement for the tournament.
Three T20 World Cup finals in as many years, two of which have been at the most recent editions of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup and one in the men's competition. South Africa has come close to clinching their maiden ICC senior women's title, and fallen agonisingly short of it.
In the 2023 edition at home, they lost to Australia by 19 runs, and a year later, they fell to New Zealand by 32 runs at Dubai.
At the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup in England and Wales however, skipper Wolvaardt believes her side will walk in hungrier than ever to taste the silverware.
"Reaching back-to-back T20 World Cup finals has obviously been very special for us as a team, but I think it has also made us even hungrier to go one step further," Wolvaardt wrote in an ICC column.
It was last year that the Proteas Women featured in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Final in India, coming up short against the co-hosts. In the lead-up to this summer's marquee event, however, South Africa has derived major inspiration from a 4-1 T20I series win against the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side at home.
"The India series was another good test against one of the strongest teams in the world," Wolvaardt said.
"Winning that series gave the group a lot of confidence, but more importantly, it showed the ability and resilience within the squad.
"Players stepped up at different times and that is something you need at a World Cup," she continued.
In addition to a dominant display from the team, Wolvaardt finished the five-T20I series with a staggering 330 runs to her name. This included a century and three half-centuries as she scored runs at a strike rate of 168.37.
"Personally, it has been one of my most enjoyable seasons," Wolvaardt said.
"I think a big part of that has come from clarity in my game and just enjoying my cricket. I have tried not to put too much pressure on myself and instead focus on contributing to the team in whatever way is needed."
The Proteas side was also bolstered ahead of the tournament by the return of pacer Shabnim Ismail for the T20 World Cup. The 37-year-old pacer retired from international cricket after the 2023 T20 WC, but her experience, 297 international wickets and good momentum on the back of some fine franchise cricket performances will come in handy for Proteas.
Wolvaardt shared that the inclusion of Ismail not only powers them on the field, but also off it.
"Having Shabnim Ismail back is very exciting for us. Everyone knows the quality and experience she brings."
"She is one of the best fast bowlers in the world and someone who can change a game very quickly."
"Beyond her skill, she also brings a level of gees (Afrikaans word for vibe) to the group, and I know the team is really happy to have her back in Proteas colours again, to hopefully help us go that one step further and lift the trophy," she added.
South Africa is slotted in Group 1 of the Women's T20 World Cup alongside India, Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands.
The upcoming edition is set to be the grandest in the tournament's history with a record prize money pool of USD 8,764,615, marking a 10 per cent rise from the 2024 edition.
Wolvaardt sees it as a major step for the growth of the women's game.
"The increase in prize money for this tournament is hugely important for the women's game. It is another strong statement about how far the game has come and where it's heading.
"For young girls watching around the world, seeing the investment and opportunities continue to grow makes a massive difference. It shows that women's cricket is being taken seriously and valued on the global stage."
"I think the ICC has made it very clear through things like this that there is real intent to continue growing the women's game around the world. We have already seen incredible progress over the last few years in terms of, crowds, broadcast coverage and overall interest in the women's game, and I think this is another important step in that journey," he concluded.