The Proteas are gearing up for this year’s 50-over World Cup with their upcoming tri-series against Sri Lanka and India. South Africa sees the series as a vital step in their preparations for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup later this year.
Next month, the team will travel to Sri Lanka for an ODI tri-series, offering them a valuable chance to familiarize themselves with conditions similar to those they’ll encounter in India during the World Cup.
All the matches will take place at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, and South Africa’s coach, Mandla Mashimbyi, believes it will be a good challenge for his team ahead of the global event.
“When you face India and Sri Lanka in their own conditions, it’s the best way to understand what you need to succeed in those environments,” Mashimbyi explained. “We hope to take the lessons from these tours directly into the World Cup in October and be better at executing both our strategies and our skills.”
This tri-series will be Mashimbyi’s first full tour as head coach since taking the role in December. He’s keen to assess a wide range of South African players to find the right mix for the World Cup later this year.
“It’s crucial for us to identify the best combinations ahead of the World Cup,” he added. “This tour will help us figure out what works in these conditions. We also want to give opportunities to players I haven’t had a chance to see much of. It’s a great opportunity for them, but we still want to win. So, balancing player exposure with our goal of competing hard is important.”
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The Proteas reached the knockout stages in the last 50-over World Cup in New Zealand in 2022, but were knocked out by England in the semi-finals.
Tri-series schedule:
- Sunday, 11 May: Final – 1st Place vs 2nd Place (R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo)
- Sunday, 27 April: 1st ODI – Sri Lanka vs India (R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo)
- Tuesday, 29 April: 2nd ODI – India vs South Africa (R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo)
- Thursday, 1 May: 3rd ODI – Sri Lanka vs South Africa (R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo)
- Sunday, 4 May: 4th ODI – Sri Lanka vs India (R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo)
- Tuesday, 6 May: 5th ODI – South Africa vs India (R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo)
- Thursday, 8 May: 6th ODI – Sri Lanka vs South Africa (R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo)
