FINAL SHOWDOWN TRIO NAMED IN SA U19 WOMEN'S TRAINING CAMP SQUAD

Schools SA20 Final Showdown trio, Jessica Joshua, Shelfa Mukhari and Imaan van Schalkwyk will return to familiar surroundings after being named in South Africa Under-19 Women’s team training squad beginning preparations for the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2027 in Bangladesh and Nepal.

The first training camp will take place from 20-23 March at the CSA Centre of Excellence in Pretoria, where the Schools SA20 Final Showdown concluded over the weekend.

A total of 24 players will attend the first camp, including the trio of Joshua, Mukhari and Van Schalkwyk.

Joshua, Saints Christian School's, wicketkeeper-batter helped her team to the Schools SA20 National Final against Steyn City and contributed 40 runs and a catch to their run to the runners-up spot. At just 14, she has a potentially promising career ahead of her. Victoria Hub's Van Schalkwyk, too, is a wicketkeeper-batter who stood wicketkeeper, who scored 53 runs in her three matches at the Final Showdown and completed three catches and three stumpings to show her all-round value. Nkowankowa Hub's Mukhari, who was part of the previous 'cycle' of SA U19 Women's training camps, finished as the joint-fourth highest wicket-taker in Pretoria with his 5/9 against Dr JL Dube High School being the best figures in the girls' division.

SA U19 Women's Head coach Dinesha Devnarain highlighted the thorough selection process undertaken to cast the net wide and ensure no stone is left unturned in unearthing talent across the country.

“While myself and the management team were busy in Malaysia [where the junior Proteas Women claimed silver medals], the TAP leads and the selectors went to the Under-13 Regional Week, Under-16 National Week and the Under-19 National Week and that's how we got to the 50 identified players. 

“What we are also looking to do is a roadshow to go around the country and see that we've touched every avenue and we're not missing any talent that's out there. You know how the Weeks go, sometimes they might not perform at their best. So we want to give that opportunity again to go around the country in a less pressured environment”. 

The upcoming four-day national camp will focus heavily on skills development and match practice, with a specific emphasis on fitness, an area Devnarain is keen to elevate within the team. Incidentally, she also delivered a Masterclass on bowling at the Schools SA20 Final Showdown, alongside the fielding session conducted by former Proteas Women fielding coach Kruger van Wyk and a batting session delivered by AB de Villiers.

“The first day of camp is just dedicated to fitness. It's something that I want to be better at with this World Cup squad. I want us to set a goal for ourselves to be the fittest team there. And that's a control level. 

“We'll put them through two matches. There'll be some skill sessions as well, but just to put them in a live net, see what they're about, see how they operate, how they go about their business, who creates conversation and what type of conversations there are. 

“We are really looking forward to working with the new crop of players. We do have some returning players so that will be exciting to see where’s the level at and where are the gaps that we need to cover,” Devnarain continued. 

Looking ahead, Devnarain also stressed the importance of blending experience with fresh talent, especially with several players from the previous World Cup squad still eligible for the 2027 campaign.

"It'll sort of be the same message that we said from the 2023 group to the 2025 group, nothing is guaranteed.

“At the end of the day, you’ve still got to meet the demands of international cricket and the brand of cricket that we want to play in South Africa. We also want to match up the girls that have been to World Cups before with the girls that haven’t. We want to match up those skills and see what areas we might have to fill as well as just from a mental aspect and creating a culture.  

“Really looking forward to heading into the 2027 preparations and to start with 50 girls that did relatively well for their provinces at the national week is an excellent way to start," she concluded. 

SA U19 WOMEN TRAINING CAMP SQUAD - 20-23 MARCH 2025

Daneli Boshoff (Boland), Nonhlanhla Danisa (Lions), Magdaleen Ernst (Lions), Tiche Frans (Garden Route Badgers), Jessica Joshua (Saints Christian School, North West), Miya Lalor (Western Province), Siphokuhle Masilela (Easterns), Kananelo Mokoena (Easterns), Boitumelo Motsabi (Free State), Taymin Muggels (Boland), Shelfa Mukhari (Nkowankowa Hub, Limpopo), Rethabile Nthoba (Free State), Lebogang Rakoeane (Free State), Erin Scrooby (Western Province), Gabriella Sequira (Titans), Shreeya Subbiah (Dolphins), Melissa van der Merwe (Boland), Maria Elizabeth van der Vyfer (Boland), Diedré van Rensburg (North West), Imaan van Schalkwyk (Victoria Hub, Western Province), Mieke van Voorst (Easterns), Ashleigh van Wyk (Easterns), Chanel Venter (Titans) and Jané Verhage (Titans) 

Article courtesy CSA Media