Ismail says Proteas women need new faces on coaching team

Shabnim Ismail said Cricket SA needs to reconfigure the environment around the Proteas women’s team before she would consider taking on a coaching role with the side. 

Ismail, who retired from international cricket after the T20 World Cup earlier this year, won her third Woman’s Player of the Year title at Friday night’s CSA Awards celebration and said she would love to play a role helping the next generation of Proteas.

“In terms of CSA, for now, after retirement, while I’d love to help, I also want to clear my mind,” said Ismail, South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs and T20 Internationals.

“I want to get away, get complete downtime from Cricket SA, which is sad. I don’t want to just jump back in with CSA at the moment, where I’m still seeing the same faces over and over. It’s part of the reason I moved myself away from CSA.”

The organisation recently advertised for the position of ‘Head of Women’s Cricket’ which is an important step with the women’s game getting a much higher profile in the wake of the Proteas’ runners-up finish in the T20 World Cup. 

Even before that tournament however the team had been rocked by retirements of senior players, including former captains Dane van Niekerk, Mignon du Preez and Lizelle Lee. After the tournament, Ismail and Trish Chetty also announced their international retirements, though Ismail, like Van Niekerk, Du Preez and Lee, is still participating in various franchise tournaments around the world. 

“I’ve seen the experience and knowledge that is in the Proteas set-up, it's for them to go out there and believe in themselves. There are people capable of filling the shoes of the players who have retired and CSA needs to put the right plans in place to make sure we are giving that next generation enough to produce the goods on the field,” said Ismail.

There have been growing whispers in cricket circles about the future of Proteas head coach Hilton Moreeng, who has been in his position for 10 years, but whose latest contract expired at the end of June. Many within the women’s game would like to see a change in that position, arguing that the players are desperately in need of a new voice and fresh ideas. 

For her part, Ismail will be keeping a close eye, while also ensuring she remains in shape for her next assignment, The Hundred tournament in England. “I know I made the right decision (to retire),’ she said.

“Somewhere down the line I will miss playing (for the Proteas) and just cricket in general. I’m still training, making sure that I eat correctly, I’m fit, still maintaining the professional standards I need to and to make sure that at The Hundred I’m still producing correctly. I’ve got friends and family who still enjoy watching and supporting me. I’m happy that I am still playing cricket.”

The Proteas next tour Pakistan in September where they will play three ODIs and three T20 Internationals.

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