Mount Maunganui, March 14 (IANS) South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt said that every game of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand carries the purpose of playing as many games as possible in preparation for the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup 2026, to be played in England from June 12 to July 5.

The Proteas women will open the series against the White Ferns on Sunday in Mount Maunganui in an afternoon game, followed by their male counterparts facing off against each other in the evening.

“It's great. I think while we're here, we might as well play a couple of extra games, especially with the World Cup right around the corner. That's obviously the main focus, playing as much T20 cricket as we can.

“Five games sort of give you the chance to try a few things as well. You have enough games to tweak a few things here or there. It's a great initiative and hopefully we can win the series,” said Laura on the eve of the series opener, in a Cricket South Africa (CSA) statement.

This arrangement is part of a historic double-header that marks the first time both South African teams playing a full series of back-to-back games against the same nation, something which has left Laura very excited.

“You sort of feel like one big team over here, sharing knowledge and chatting to them. And just seeing how they go about things is cool for me as well. It doesn't happen a lot that you sort of tour side by side but I think it'll be very cool cricket-wise as well to watch their game after ours,” she said.

Stand-in men's captain Keshav Maharaj echoed the sentiment around rise of women's cricket worldwide. “Women's cricket has come along in leaps and bounds, and it's wonderful for them to have the stage as well. They’ve played some amazing cricket and some very exciting cricket games that have gone down to the wire - It's also exciting for us to be able to witness it live.”

The last time Proteas Women faced the White Ferns was in the T20 World Cup 2024 final in Dubai, where the latter won the trophy. Meanwhile, the Proteas Men met the Blackcaps earlier this month in the semi-final of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in Kolkata, where they lost by nine wickets.

The Proteas men’s squad features five uncapped players - Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, Jordan Hermann, Nqobani Mokoena and Prenelan Subrayen. “It’s always been a wonderful rivalry. Good cricket played on the field, but there's still that respect that's between both sides.

“New Zealand are a really strong side, obviously coming off a really big high coming from India. But I think with the squad that we have, there's a lot of energy within the environment being a lot younger. So hopefully it will be a good, strong series.

“And fingers crossed we come on top. We also want to try and win with a really young side. Shuks said the other day, what a story it would be to tell when you get on that flight to go back home and be like, ‘wow, that was amazing and special to be a part of,’” added Maharaj.

The opening game on Sunday will also mark Maharaj’s 50th T20I appearance. He made his T20I debut in 2021 and has since become one of the Proteas’ most dependable performers. “What’s it been, five years? I made my debut in Sri Lanka as captain and here I am in my 50th. I've got the same buzz and energy, and I try to stay true to what I do.

“So that hasn't changed from a preparation point of view, but really excited to lead a really young side and hoping that I can get the best out of them. I entered this environment 10 years ago, so I know what it was like to enter as a junior. I've played against some amazing captains, but Faf always was one that stood out for me in terms of empathy and care.

“And I try to emulate that style, not just as a captain, but just from a senior player within the environment, taking guys under my wing and basically just sort of being that father figure to them,” concluded Maharaj.

--IANS

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