South Africa have brought Dane van Niekerk and Shabnim Ismail back for their T20 World Cup opener against Australia on Saturday at Old Trafford, a selection swing that gives Laura Wolvaardt's side two seasoned names as they walk into one of the tournament's toughest fixtures.
The timing matters because this match sits inside a brutal group that also includes India, with only the top two teams moving on to the knockout stage. South Africa know exactly what they are trying to do first: upset Australia, the world number one side, and do it in a game that comes less than a year after their stunning semi-final win in Dubai ended Australia's three-peat hopes.
Wolvaardt said the return of van Niekerk and Ismail has sharpened the mood around the squad. Both players reversed international retirements over the past 12 months, and their inclusion gives South Africa more experience in a contest that has been slow to tilt their way. Asked about the pair, Wolvaardt said: “Hopefully they are the missing pieces that we needed.”
She added that the conversation around South Africa has changed as well. In previous tournaments, she said, the team often arrived with a dark-horse tag and few people expecting them to go all the way. This time, she said, especially with the competition at home, the feeling is different because people want them to win the World Cup, and that belief has spread through the group.
That confidence still has to confront a hard record. South Africa have beaten Australia only three times in women's international cricket, and all three of those wins came in 2024. Their most recent ODI World Cup meeting went badly for South Africa, with Australia winning by a wide margin. Even so, Wolvaardt said the squad believes it has the talent to win the tournament, and that coach Mandla Mashimbyi, appointed in late 2024, has backed that message from the start.
“He just fully believes if we do what we do well, we can beat any side in the world,” Wolvaardt said of Mashimbyi, adding that his approach has been helpful because he does not seem to care who the opposition is. Australia, too, are preparing for what South Africa can bring. Sophie Molineux said the Australians would have plans ready to deal with Ismail and van Niekerk.
This is also the first official T20 between the sides since the 2024 semi-final in Dubai, which gives Saturday's opener an extra edge. South Africa arrive with a stronger sense of purpose and two returned players they hope can change the balance. Australia still have the pedigree, South Africa still have the memory of beating them when it mattered most, and Old Trafford will show whether that belief is enough to matter again.
