Marizanne Kapp has been ruled out of the upcoming Commonwealth Games for South Africa, significantly diminishing their chances of a medal.
Kapp cut short her participation in the tour of England due to family reasons and returned home before the first of three T20Is after her brother-in-law suffered serious injuries in an accident that left him in intensive care.
Her availability for the games starting in Birmingham later this week was confirmed from questionable to out by head coach Hilton Moreeng who verified that she would not return to England after the hosts had won the third T20I in Derby to seal a 14-points-to-two victory in their multi-format series.
Marizanne Kapp not being available for the Commonwealth Games is a big blow for South Africa as she singlehandedly secured their two points of the series in the drawn test after scoring 150 and 43 not out. She also posted half-centuries in two of the three ODIs, which England also swept 3-0.
The 32-year-old is arguably her side’s best player helping them reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in New Zealand.
Her absence adds to the downward trajectory of South Africa’s women’s team which recently lost batter Lizelle Lee to retirement over the granting of a NOC for her to play in the Hundred. Shabnim Ismail, their key pace bowler, is out of form taking just two wickets in the entire series against England while missing the Test with a calf-muscle injury.
Sune Luus, South Africa’s captain, who missed the final T20I in Derby through illness, hasn’t bowled since two warm-up games against England Women A in the first week of July because of a finger injury while Dane van Niekerk remains out leaving them staring at a bleak immediate future.
