The South African Women’s National Selection Panel has today confirmed the 15-player squad for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to take place in England and Wales from 12 June – 05 July
Aiming to continue inspiring the future generations of women’s cricket in the country, the Proteas squad, captained by Laura Wolvaardt, features the return of fast bowler Shabnim Ismail, as South Africa go in pursuit of their maiden world title
The 37-year-old, who last represented the Proteas in the T20 World Cup final in Cape Town in February 2023, brings a wealth of experience, adding 113 T20I caps and a national record of 123 wickets to the group
She will be joined by Marizanne Kapp and Dané van Niekerk, who are back after recovering from illness and a calf injury, respectively
Wicketkeeper-batter Karabo Meso also returns from a wrist injury that ruled her out of the recent T20I series against India and will link up with Sinalo Jafta in the wicketkeeping department
Kayla Reyneke is set for her first senior World Cup after enjoying a breakout international season
The former SA U19 Women’s captain ended the 2025/26 campaign with a batting average of 53 and five wickets in her first nine T20Is
The remainder of the squad includes Tazmin Brits, Suné Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, and Chloé Tryon
Meanwhile, the bowling attack features seamers Ayabonga Khaka and Tumi Sekhukhune, as well as spin queen Nonkululeko Mlaba
The Proteas will get their undeniable journey underway when they depart for England on 25 May for a camp in Arundel, where they will face Australia in three training matches from 31 May – 04 June, before turning their attention to the official World Cup warm-up fixtures
After reaching the last three ICC tournament finals, South Africa will begin their latest T20 World Cup campaign in Group 1 against Australia on 13 June in Manchester, before facing Pakistan, India, the Netherlands and Bangladesh
Proteas Women head coach, Mandla Mashimbyi, said: “We’re excited for the big show ahead, and I think the players have really put in the work over the last few months
The 4-1 series win against India gave us a lot of confidence, but there are still final touch-ups we need to make before the World Cup starts
1 Media Release “Having someone like Shabnim back adds a lot of value to the group
We had good conversations and you could see the hunger she still has to represent South Africa and help this team achieve something special
We’re also pleased to have players like Marizanne, Dané and Karabo available again
“Every team goes to a World Cup wanting to win it, and we are no different, but for us it’s about staying in love with the process, taking it one game at a time and continuing to improve as the tournament advances.” Proteas Women Convenor of Selectors, Clinton du Preez, commented: “The selection process for this T20 World Cup squad involved a lot of careful consideration around continuity, squad balance and the demands that come with a major global tournament
“Keeping the core of the group together was important to us because this is a squad that has built strong experience, combinations and understanding over time
At the same time, we also looked at areas where we felt additional experience and impactful options could strengthen the team, especially in the high-pressure moments that often decide tournaments of this nature
“These decisions are never easy, particularly when quality players miss out, but every discussion and selection was made with the best interests of the team and the goal of winning the World Cup in mind
We believe this squad has the right mix of experience, resilience and match-winning ability, and importantly, gives us the best possible opportunity to put all the pieces together and strongly challenge for the title.”
Proteas’ ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Squad:
Laura Wolvaardt (captain, Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (DP World Lions), Nadine de Klerk (World Sports Betting Western Province), Annerie Dercksen (Garden Route Badgers), Shabnim Ismail (DP World Lions), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Karabo Meso (DP World Lions), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Kayla Reyneke (World Sports Betting Western Province), Tumi Sekhukhune (DP World Lions), Chloé Tryon (DP World Lions) and Dané van Niekerk (World Sports Betting Western Province) Management Mandla Mashimbyi (Head coach), Sedibu Mohlaba (Team Manager), Dillon du Preez (Bowling Coach), Andrew Puttick (Batting Coach), Mduduzi Mbatha (Fielding Coach), Abram Ramoadi (Performance Analyst), Claire Terblanche (Coach), Dr Tshegofatso Gaetsewe (Team Doctor), Neline Hoffman-Kellerman (Physiotherapist), Tumi Masekela (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Happiness Mesi (Massage Therapist and Logistics), Dr Koketjo Tsebe (Team Psychologist), Lita Gqirana (Media Manager), and Zahid Shaik (Security Liason Officer.)
Proteas Fixtures – ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Saturday, 13 June at 15:30 – Old Trafford, Manchester South Africa vs Australia Wednesday, 17 June at 19:30 – Edgbaston, Birmingham South Africa vs Pakistan 2 Media Release Sunday, 21 June at 15:30 – Old Trafford, Manchester South Africa vs India Thursday, 25 June at 19:30 – Bristol County Ground, Bristol South Africa vs Netherlands Sunday, 28 June at 11:30 – Lord’s, London South Africa vs Bangladesh *All times are SAST
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