South Africa head coach Mandla Mashimbyi has confirmed that former captain Dane van Niekerk will not be part of the Proteas Women’s squad for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, scheduled to be held from 30 September to 2 November in India and partly in Sri Lanka.
Van Niekerk, who dramatically reversed her retirement earlier this week, has been training with the national setup in Durban, fueling speculation about a possible World Cup comeback. But Mashimbyi moved quickly to temper expectations, making it clear that while the 32-year-old remains in the team’s long-term vision, an immediate return is off the table.
“She’s definitely not part of this World Cup, she won’t be going,” Mashimbyi told reporters at Kingsmead. “She is someone we are looking to towards the future. There are series she might be involved in and, hopefully, when she ticks all the boxes, she can showcase all her skills again.”
Van Niekerk, who stepped away from international cricket in 2023, has been steadily rediscovering her rhythm at the domestic level with Western Province. Her batting showed signs of her old class during the provincial season, but the all-rounder has openly acknowledged that the bar within the Proteas setup has risen in her absence.
“I’m watching the players with their skill; there’s a massive difference from two years ago. I’m probably not where everyone else is at the moment,” Van Niekerk admitted earlier this week, reflecting both her hunger to return and her awareness of the current standards in the squad.” Mashimbyi echoed that perspective, noting that while van Niekerk’s experience is invaluable, the selectors are focused on players who have been consistently competing at international intensity.
“She’s captained the team, played for a long time, and has been successful. The experience she carries is something we’d miss if we didn’t have it,” Mashimbyi said. “But at this stage, it’s about ensuring players are physically and technically at the right level before re-entering the rigours of international tournaments.”
South Africa’s immediate focus remains the upcoming World Cup campaign in Asia. The Durban training camp has set its sights firmly on preparing for subcontinental conditions, with Kingsmead’s square customised to replicate slow-bouncing tracks and turning surfaces.
The Proteas will warm up with a three-match ODI series in Pakistan before heading to Guwahati, where they face England on October 3 in their tournament opener. Mashimbyi stressed that fitness and adaptability will be the cornerstones of the squad’s final tuning phase.
Though van Niekerk won’t be on the plane to the World Cup, her presence in the camp has been a reminder of what she once offered, and could potentially still offer, to a Proteas unit in transition. Younger batters like Lara Goodall and Tazmin Brits are establishing themselves, while captain Laura Wolvaardt continues to lead from the front with bat and mentality.
Van Niekerk remains on the outside for now, but Mashimbyi’s words suggest the door is far from closed. “There are series she might be involved in,” he noted, leaving open the possibility of her donning national colours once again beyond the World Cup spotlight.
For now, the Proteas turn their attention to one of their most important campaigns in recent history, with or without one of their most iconic leaders.
