For South Africa’s opening batter Tazmin Brits, the T20 World Cup carries a weight far beyond cricket. She will be playing not just for her team, but for her mother, Zeldine, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Just weeks before the tournament, Zeldine, a familiar face in the stands supporting her daughter, began treatment, making it impossible for her to attend this time around.
My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer just two weeks ago,
Brits shared in an emotional conversation on ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast.
The struggle never ends, but I know how to handle it now. You have to keep moving, or the world will swallow you.
Overcoming Hardships: A Story of Resilience
Brits’ journey has been marked by unimaginable challenges. In March 2021, she lost her father to COVID-19. Ten years earlier, she suffered a devastating car accident that nearly ended her athletic career. Once a javelin thrower on the brink of competing at the 2012 London Olympics, Tazmin Brits were left with a broken pelvis, a burst bladder and a dislocated hip. She was told it would take a year to walk again, but Brits defied the odds, running within seven months.
Supported by her family, she rediscovered her passion for sport. Although her javelin comeback didn’t pan out, she found solace in cricket—a sport she played casually until realizing she had real talent.
When I started scoring runs, I knew I could make a career out of it, and that changed my entire mindset,
she recalled.
A Meteoric Rise in Cricket
Just a few short months after joining the North West provincial side, Brits were selected for the national team, where she shared a dressing room with cricket legends Lizelle Lee and Dane van Niekerk. Since their retirements, Brits has become a mainstay at the top of South Africa’s batting order, and last year has been her most prolific.
She notched her first and second ODI centuries against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and in T20Is, she has hit five of her 12 fifties, along with a maiden hundred in domestic T20s. Reflecting on her form, Brits said,
I just go there and see ball, hit ball. I’m not one for stats or specs. I’m more street smart.
However, there’s more to her recent success than just instinct. Brits has honed in on improving her strike rate, recognizing that modern T20 cricket demands explosiveness.
People want 40 off 20 balls, and I’m working on getting my strike rate over 140,
she explained. Her efforts are paying off, as her T20 strike rate has risen from 114.25 to 129.25 since last September.
Bigger Dreams on the Horizon
Despite her cricket success, Brits hasn’t given up on her Olympic dream, even with the Olympic rings tattooed on her bicep. She hopes to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, especially with cricket now included.
I’m hoping the Olympics will make the game broader, giving smaller nations like Namibia and Zimbabwe a chance,
she said, excited about cricket’s potential global growth.
But in the meantime, her sights are set on the upcoming T20 and 50-over World Cups.
Winning a World Cup for South Africa would be massive,
she said.
Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.
Brits has already promised to commemorate the occasion with a tattoo of the trophy if they win—or even half of it if they reach the semi-finals.
We’d better win because I can’t walk around with half a tattoo,
she joked.
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Playing with Purpose
Every time she reaches a batting milestone, Brits celebrate with a unique ballerina move, a tribute to her father, created in partnership with her teammate Masabata Klaas’ daughter. This October, as she competes in the T20 World Cup, Brits will have another, more personal inspiration—October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a cause now close to her heart as her mother battles the disease.
My mom’s pretty tough,
Brits said, with a smile.
I think that’s where I get it from.
For Tazmin Brits, this World Cup will be about more than winning—it’s about resilience, family, and fighting for something greater than the game itself.
