"I am blessed with an amazing team"

Dane van Niekerk praised the Proteas Women team environment as the skipper scooped her second successive Women’s Cricketer of the Year award.

It has been a trying year for the 26-year-old all-rounder. A stress fracture of the right femur sustained during Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa earlier this year sidelined her for the better part of six months.

Prior to the injury, however, she led from the front with both bat and ball, the highlight of which was a maiden ODI century against Sri Lanka.

Fit-again Van Niekerk marked her return to action with an unbeaten 50 for SA Emerging Women.

In an exclusive with Cricket Fanatics Magazine, Van Niekerk said the desire to be back in the dressing room spurred her on while she was away.

“To be with my teammates – that’s one massive thing – a massive driving force for me was just to join my teammates again,” she said.

The Proteas Women have been on a steady rise in recent years under Van Niekerk’s leadership with a run to the semi-finals of the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup their most impressive feat.

Van Niekerk believes that her side’s improvement comes down to the squad members’ collective buy-in to a single vision.

“I am blessed with an amazing team, an amazing group of young ladies that has the same vision as a group which I love and it makes my life a lot easier.”