Proteas Women's coach Mandla Mashimbyi's short-sightedness may come back to haunt him

Mandla Mashimbyi has done a credible job since being appointed Proteas Women’s head coach.

After a tenuous start, which included a couple of bilateral series defeats as the former Titans men’s coach found his feet in the women’s game, Mashimbyi’s unique coaching methods — by his own admission — have filtered through the team. The result was a dream run to a first-ever appearance in a Women’s World Cup final.

The reality now, though, is that the Proteas are preparing for another T20 World Cup in just over six months’ time in England. It was only 18 months ago that Laura Wolvaardt and her team fell short against New Zealand in the short-format showpiece in the UAE. With this in mind, Mashimbyi has poured his resources into going one step further at Lord’s.

In pursuit of that goal, he has made some big calls in recalling former captain Dane van Niekerk and Faye Tunnicliffe for the Ireland T20I series.

Tunnicliffe undoubtedly deserves another crack at international level after banging down the door through sheer weight of domestic runs, while Van Niekerk has also shown since her comeback that she still has plenty to offer the national team.

In the first two matches of the series, both have vindicated Mashimbyi and national convenor of selectors Clinton du Preez’s decision to give them opportunities.

However, with all due respect to the Irish, who are primarily semi-professional players, the tourists have not really put the Proteas under any sustained pressure. It is for this reason that I feel Mashimbyi has been a bit short-sighted in his selections for this series.

Mashimbyi seems determined to push on with 30-year-old wicket-keeper Sinalo Jafta, despite her overall career batting average of 15.33 across 57 T20Is. Teenager Karabo Meso is waiting anxiously in the wings and, with her confidence already dented after being thrown in at the deep end during the last World Cup in India, Mashimbyi’s player management of this precocious talent leaves much to be desired.

A low-key home series against Ireland would have been the ideal way to rebuild Meso’s fragile confidence with an eye on building for the future. 

Equally, allrounder Annerie Dercksen must be wondering what she has done wrong to fall so horribly out of favour. 

The current ICC Emerging Player of the Year has the experience of playing in a T20 World Cup final, and dominated the ODI Tri-Series in Sri Lanka prior to the World Cup. 

But yet the immensely talented 26-year-old found herself benched during the opening rounds of the World Cup, which severely dented her confidence ahead of being eventually called back into the playing XI for the knockout stages. 

She has since been on drinks duty again during the Ireland T20I series, whilst being left out altogether for the subsequent ODI series despite the Proteas management resting a host of regulars. 

Meso and Dercksen are the future of the Proteas Women’s team with their abilities needing to be harnessed and nurtured.

Instead, they have been left on the outskirts with Mashimbyi’s short-sightedness criminal to their development which could come back to haunt him in the not-so-distant future.