Durban — On Sunday, the Proteas Women intensified their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Durban.

To prepare for the T20 World Cup, the Proteas Women convened for a national training camp from August 25–30 at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium in Durban.

Following a week-long skills camp held in Tshwane earlier this month, the team will intensify their efforts in KwaZulu-Natal, focusing on scenario training and intra-squad matches as they prepare for the tournament set to begin on October 3 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The six-day camp will largely feature a consistent group of internationally capped players, as the national selection panel homes in on the final World Cup squad.

Chloé Tryon will miss the camp as she competes in the Caribbean Premier League, running from August 22–29 in Trinidad and Tobago, while experienced all-rounder Marizanne Kapp and captain Laura Wolvaardt return after participating in The Hundred in England.

Also attending the camp will be all-rounder Nadine de Klerk, who will continue her rehabilitation from an Achilles injury.

Unfortunately, World Sports Betting Western Province’s Delmi Tucker has been ruled out for the rest of the year after recently undergoing successful surgery on her right shoulder after being diagnosed with rotator cuff tendinopathy.

“The outcome of the Durban camp will be crucial to help us ensure that we have the best possible squad ready for the World Cup. With the camp largely focusing on match scenarios, it will give us a final opportunity to assess all the players and to start finalising their roles,” interim head coach Dillon du Preez said ahead of the training camp.

“With the World Cup only being five weeks away, this training camp becomes important for us just to make sure things start falling into place from a skills, team culture and conditioning perspective. We’re very close to finalising our World Cup squad and the camp will give us some time to assess the players, looking at form, fitness and overall readiness before we make a final decision.”

On returning players and injuries, Du Preez said: “We also have Wolvaardt and Kapp back from The Hundred and will be joining us at the camp. Unfortunately, Delmi Tucker will miss out due to an operation on her shoulder and will only return early next year.”

Proteas Women National Training Camp (Durban): Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (DP World Lions), Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Mieke de Ridder (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Lara Goodall (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Masabata Klaas (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Eliz-Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Seshnie Naidu (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Tumi Sekhukhune (DP World Lions), Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Miané Smit (Recon Tactical Free State), Faye Tunnicliffe (World Sports Betting Western Province) and Laura Wolvaardt (Fidelity Titans).

Meanwhile, last week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that the ninth edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was relocated from Bangladesh to a new venue, the UAE.

The tournament will be played across the two venues in the UAE – Dubai and Sharjah – from October 3–20.

“It is a shame not to be hosting the Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh as we know the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would have staged a memorable event,” ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement.

“I would like to thank the team at the BCB for exploring all avenues to try and enable the event to be hosted in Bangladesh, but travel advisories from the governments of a number of the participating teams meant that wasn’t feasible.

“However, they will retain hosting rights. We look forward to taking an ICC global event to Bangladesh in the near future.”

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Intense preparations under way as Proteas Women eye T20 World Cup glory