Shabnim Ismail will pull on the green and gold again. The 37-year-old quick, who called time on her international career just over a year ago, has been named in South Africa’s 15-strong squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup in England this June. Laura Wolvaardt leads a largely familiar group that also welcomes back Marizanne Kapp from illness and Dane van Niekerk after her own brief spell on the sidelines.
Those are the headlines; the detail is almost as intriguing. Ismail last played for South Africa in early 2023, but she never really stopped bowling. Since stepping away, she has rattled stumps across the WPL, WBBL, WCPL and the Hundred, even lifting the WPL trophy with Mumbai Indians in 2025. The selectors have decided that form is impossible to ignore.
Kayla Reyneke, the big-hitting former Under-19 captain, earns a first senior World Cup call-up, while teenage keeper-batter Karabo Meso returns after a wrist injury. There is no place, though, for Anneke Bosch, a key figure in South Africa’s run to the 2024 final.
Head coach Mandla Mashimbyi, speaking in a CSA release, did not hide his satisfaction at Ismail’s U-turn. “Having someone like Shabnim back adds a lot of value to the group,” he said. “We had good conversations and you could see the hunger she still has to represent South Africa and help this team achieve something special. We’re also pleased to have players like Marizanne, Dané and Karabo available again.”
That hunger will be tested immediately. South Africa open their campaign against defending champions Australia in Manchester on 13 June, a fixture that seldom needs extra spice. Ismail’s battle with Alyssa Healy, who has previously ranked the seamer among the quickest in the women’s game, promises to be a useful early barometer.
Clinton du Preez, convenor of selectors, said consistency had guided the panel’s choices. “Keeping the core of the group together was important to us because this is a squad that has built strong experience, combinations and understanding over time. At the same time, we also looked at areas where we felt additional experience and impactful options could strengthen the team, especially in the high-pressure moments that often decide tournaments of this nature.”
From a tactical angle, Ismail’s inclusion gives Wolvaardt the luxury of two new-ball specialists again. Ayabonga Khaka has carried the attack since the veteran left, but the pair in tandem – swing and skiddy pace – offers balance on early-season English pitches that can nip around. It may also free Kapp to operate as a middle-overs enforcer rather than burning overs up front.
There are still gaps to plug. South Africa’s finishing with the bat has been patchy; Chloe Tryon remains the designated six-hitter, though Reyneke’s rise could share that load. Fielding has also slipped since the retirement of Lizelle Lee and the intermittent availability of van Niekerk. Expect plenty of attention on that department during the pre-tournament camp.
Worth noting, too, that this is a squad under quiet pressure. The runners-up finish two years ago marked a high-water line; anything markedly poorer this time will feel like regression. Yet, with Wolvaardt’s calm leadership, Luus’ nous, and now Ismail’s experience, they travel with no shortage of know-how.
South Africa Women’s T20 World Cup squad
Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Suné Luus, Karabo Meso (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Kayla Reyneke, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon, Dané van Niekerk
Ismail’s return may not dominate every headline, but it does nudge South Africa’s ambitions a little higher. If the veteran can still crank the speed gun above 120 kph and the top order finds its rhythm, another deep run is hardly out of reach.
