Tazmin Brits praises Proteas Women's Durban preparations ahead of World Cup

Proteas Women’s opening batter Tazmin Brits has expressed satisfaction with the national side’s preparations in Durban ahead of the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, set to be staged in India and Sri Lanka.

The team gathered this week for what is expected to be their final home camp before departing for a warm-up ODI series in Pakistan.

On Friday, the squad engaged in an intra-squad game at the Chatsworth Oval, giving players a valuable opportunity to test their readiness under conditions similar to those they will face on the subcontinent.

For Brits, the highlight was watching her teammates take ownership of new skills and strategies they’ve been working on in training.

“It was nice to see the girls actually try the things that we've been working on,” she said. “A lot of times we try those things in the nets and when it comes to game day we actually re-route back to our old habits. So it was nice, people were getting out of their comfort zone.”

Brits believes that growth happens in those uncomfortable moments, and she was particularly encouraged by the bowlers, who implemented changes in their approach with noticeable effect. “I saw a few bowlers doing things that you never saw before and actually coming off,” she added.

From a batting perspective, Brits was equally impressed with the way the team adapted to the unique bounce and unpredictability of the Chatsworth surface, which mimicked conditions expected in India and Sri Lanka.

While she and opening partner Laura Wolvaardt had to quickly assess the pitch’s behaviour, it was the entire unit’s ability to rotate the strike and build partnerships that stood out.

She reserved special praise for Marizanne Kapp, who carried her fine form from The Hundred into the camp by scoring a century in the intra-squad match.

“With Kapi scoring a century, I think she brought the runs from The Hundred to us. Hopefully that can continue for her,” said Brits. “She’s very experienced as well, which we also picked up with the shots that she was playing.”

But it wasn’t just about individual brilliance. Brits was encouraged by the collective effort and commitment to team goals.

“It wasn’t just a one hit wonder. It was a lot of people running very hard, playing certain shots. It was nice to see all the contributions.”

With the Durban camp providing a solid platform and a sense of momentum, the Proteas Women now turn their focus to Pakistan, where they will fine-tune their game plans and combinations ahead of the global showpiece.

They open their World Cup campaign on 3 October with a challenging fixture against England — and if the team’s current cohesion and confidence are anything to go by, they may just be in with a serious shot at finally bringing the elusive trophy home.