Mandla Mashimi, head coach of the Proteas Women's team, believes that the team has confidently entered the ranks of leading global squads, but warns that to win the long-awaited ICC trophy, they need to improve their attacking play and increase squad depth.
Tournament Results and Game Assessment
South Africa's campaign at the World Cup ended in deep disappointment on Thursday, as England demonstrated flawless play and advanced to the final, thus dashing Proteas' hopes of participating in the last two major ICC finals. Acknowledging the loss, Mashimi emphasized that exiting the semi-finals should not completely overshadow the structural progress achieved by his team.
After the match, Mashimi stated: 'I take nothing for granted. If we got this far, it means we did something right. Maybe not how we wanted, but ultimately we want to win the World Cup, and we did that.' The coach did not hesitate to admit England's clear superiority that evening, noting: 'They were incredible. Frankly, the two best teams in the tournament are in the final.'
Attacking and Defensive Issues
Mashimi dismissed suggestions that tactical changes in batting order hindered South Africa's rhythm, instead placing the blame on the batting unit, which failed to play cohesively throughout the tournament, despite the outstanding individual performance of opening batter Tazmin Brits. He noted: 'We believe in every player in the batting line-up. They just need to perform their role well. I just don't think we played well today.'
Analyzing the entire tournament, he identified the batting unit as the biggest area requiring immediate technical improvement, while unanimously praising his team's bowling stability. Mashimi observed: 'We were able to score runs early in the game in most matches, and we were able to control the middle overs in most games. The only thing I can say is that we probably didn't show our best potential in terms of batting. We are a strong team, and today probably testifies to that in terms of lack of boundaries. If you don't hit boundaries in T20 cricket, you will be criticized.'
Experience Versus Pressure
England successfully recovered from a dangerous deficit of 23/3 thanks to an impressive stabilizing partnership between Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight. Mashimi felt this demonstrates the immense value of international experience under pressure. The coach admitted: 'They handled the pressure and returned it to us. That's what happens when you have experienced players in the middle.'
Prospects and Team Development
Looking ahead, Mashimi agreed that it would be very beneficial for South Africa to add another spin specialist to complement the threat of left-arm orthodox bowler Nonkululeko Mlaba, although he stressed that batting remains one of the team's strongest fundamental aspects. He also expressed great hope that veteran fast bowler Shabnim Ismail would continue her international career, making a remarkable return from retirement to lead the attack in this tournament.
Mashimi concluded: 'She is still here for a long time. She is still a very Proteas player.' He explained that Ismail's return was due to the unique set of skills she offers with the new ball alongside Marizanne Kapp, while emphasizing the need to develop the next generation of fast bowlers. 'The most important thing is to go back to the drawing board and ensure we implement processes so that we have players who will do no less, and possibly better,' he said.
The tournament also secured South Africa qualification for the return of cricket at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, which, in Mashimi's view, will be significant for women's cricket, even if his immediate focus remained on the World Cup. 'I think this is very important for women's cricket,' he stated. Nevertheless, the main message from the Proteas coach was directed towards prospects, not despair. When asked about the disappointment of another semi-final exit, he said: 'What a pain? You just lose and learn. We learned a lot from this World Cup, and we must ensure we go back to the drawing board and implement what will make us a little more dangerous and a little better.'
