Despite a series defeat on their tour to India, Sune Luus showed all the fight, passion and maturity that could earmark her as a future leader of the Proteas Women, writes Naeemah Benjamin.

The South Africa Women returned home after being outmuscled by India. Although it was a tough tour to India, there were definitely some positives to take from the experience.

These are the sort of situations that shapes players and builds character. Sometimes you lose the battle but you win the war. In this case, the Proteas have achieved this by prioritising their succession planning, especially with a T20 World Cup lurking around the corner.

There were many opportunities given to the youngsters who were given an opportunity to put their hands up and show what they are capable of.

“The tour was definitely challenging and we obviously knew, that by going to India, we’re going to face a lot of spin bowling so we prepared for that as much as we could,” Luus said exclusively to Cricket Fanatics Magazine.

“But I think nothing really can prepare you for going to India and that sort of conditions, other than getting out there on those pitches and playing. We take a lot of positives from the tour despite the difficulties.

“It was a young squad and it was good to see what they could bring to the table and also for the selectors to see the depth that we have in our country at the moment.

“It was difficult and with the heat as well, but it’s part of being a professional cricketer. You have to adjust and adapt as quick as possible but unfortunately, it wasn’t our tour. We’ll take the lessons and learn (from them) going forward.”

One got the feeling that this tour was all about testing and trying different combinations – seeing what players can do in different positions when necessary.

Luus was one of the players that benefitted from the experience. The 23-year-old all-rounder was taken out of her comfort zone and given the opportunity to improve untapped aspects of her game.

She was promoted to partner up with Lizelle Lee at the top of the order on two occasions. One of those opportunities came in the final T20I and we saw just how explosive that opening partnership could be.

“It’s always good to get as many balls upfront whilst opening the batting,” said Luus. “I didn’t do as great in the first opportunity, but I utilised it in the second one.

“Hopefully it can show the selectors that I’m willing and able to bat at the top of the order so perhaps in the future, that’s something I can do.”

In the absence of Dane van Niekerk, Luus was stand-in captain, another challenge that she stepped up to successfully.

“Captaining your side, is always a great honour and privilege and it’s definitely something I aspire to do in the future,” Luus revealed.

“But we’ll see how it goes. At the moment we are being led by an amazing captain and she’s doing an absolutely great job.”

If you needed any more confirmation that Indians love their cricket then you certainly got it during the tour.

Both the T20 Internationals and One-Day Internationals were packed to capacity. The crowds were roaring and cheering and not just for their own team.

It was an unforgettable experience for the Proteas Women, who have not experienced that sort of unconditional support before.

According to Luus South Africa could definitely take notes on how to show up and get behind their teams, in particular, the women’s team.

“It was definitely a great experience to play in front of almost twenty thousand people. I don’t think most of us have done that before and it was really something to get used to,” said Luus.

“They are really fanatic about cricket. I mean, they weren’t just supporting India. They just supported cricket in general and that was very good for the world to see.

“What India did well was, they put up a lot of posters everywhere we went and it was televised games as well. But I think the passion Indian people have for cricket, whether it’s men’s or women’s cricket, is the huge difference.

“In SA, from a marketing perspective we could play a bit more on television if that’s possible and also have a few more posters up to make more people aware, but it’s small things.

“At the end of the day, we got to win to get people to come out and watch us so that’s the main thing for us.”

Being a professional cricketer comes with an overwhelming schedule and itinerary.

Touring, in particular, can be a taxing experience, and Luus revealed what she does to keep the balance in her life.

“I think a support structure is very important,” she explained.

“Obviously touring away from home most of the time is hard, but having those people back you, support you and just send you love, that’s all that matters.

“You can have a tough day at the office but at the end of the day, it’s what you go home to and who you go home to.

“There’s no such thing as an off-season nowadays because during the off-season you have to train just as hard and get fitter. But I enjoy spending time with friends, obviously maintaining a social life is good as well.

“I enjoy playing tennis and doing tons of outdoor stuff like trail runs with my brother and his wife.”

At first, women’s cricket in this country wasn’t professional and many never thought about it as a potential career path but that has changed.

Luus ended our conversation by leaving some advice for young cricketers looking to embark on this journey.

“To young cricketers out there, cricket is really becoming a thing especially women’s cricket in the country and all over the world,” she concluded.

“It’s definitely a career option and if it’s your passion then definitely go for it and continue living out your dream.”

Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix