South Africa 's former captain Dane van Niekerk is "definitely not part," of their plans for the upcoming World Cup despite coming out of retirement and being included in an ongoing pre-tournament training camp. National coach Mandla Mashimbyi confirmed that van Niekerk will only be considered for future series "when she ticks all the boxes."
That means van Niekerk, who is 32, may not play at another 50-over World Cup after missing out in 2022 as she recovered from a broken ankle. She has appeared in three previous editions and led South Africa in 2017, where they suffered a semi-final defeat to England. She has also played in seven T20 World Cups but did not feature in the home event in 2023 after failing to meet Cricket South Africa's (CSA) fitness requirements. It was then tha