“There’s a bright future for Women’s cricket”: Nadine de Klerk

During the ninth episode of the On Lockdown Series, Nadine de Klerk spoke about Women’s cricket, her admiration for Marizanne Kapp and inspiring the next generation Women’s cricketers.

The Women’s T20I World Cup that was hosted by Australia a little over a month ago has been a testament of the growth of the Women’s game on a global scale.

Also, in South Africa, the Women’s game has been on the rise from a support point of view.

Credit must go to all the ladies who played for South Africa in those tough times because their efforts played a huge part in ensuring women’s cricket stays alive and healthy in SA.

“I spoke a lot to Mignon and them [the seniors], they say the youngsters coming in now are so privileged because when they started there was nothing, they played for fun”, said De Klerk.

“I remember when I went to the WC in 2017 and when we did so well and we came back, a lot of things happened for the Women’s game. I know there were a lot of improvements in contracts.

“I think it’s really heading in the right direction. The exposure that we’re getting, I think it’s still not there yet but there’s really a lot of improvements and I’m excited about the future.

“Hopefully as South Africans we can really fire that up.”

It’s really mind-blowing that Nadine is only 20-years-old and that she’s been in the 2017 WC squad.

She might be young and also a “very big romantic comedy fan”, but when it comes to the game, she has really serious cricketers as role models namely Marizanne Kapp and Jacques Kallis.

“She’s [Marizanne] a real competitor. I remember her face when she couldn’t play in the semi-final and my heart broke for her because I know how much of an impact player she is for South Africa”, said De Klerk.

“Even though she’s my own teammate, I really look up to her and I have a lot of respect for her. I think she’s leading from the front brilliantly and I would want to be like her.

“She’s also an all-rounder so obviously she’s the perfect example for me to follow.

“I’m a big Jacques Kallis fan. I almost cried when he retired, I’m a massive Jacques Kallis fan.”

There’s still a lot that needs to be done for Women’s cricket to be at a better level. As much as that is CSA’s responsibility, we as South Africans simply need to get more involved and support the ladies even more.

“There’s a lot of opportunity, there’s a bright future for women’s cricket, you can make a career out of it. Don’t think there’s not a chance, there’s no opportunity”, said De Klerk

“For me, it’s a dream come true. I love this game, I love playing for South Africa. Every time I put that jersey over my head I still get goosebumps every time, it never gets old. So, let that inspire you. It’s a brilliant game to play.”

For the full interview with Nadine de Klerk, click on the video below.