All-rounder Marizanne Cap has left her WBBL contract, while captain Laura Woolwardt continues to operate under the agreement.
International Cricket
Experienced all-rounder Marizanne Cap has decided to extend her career with the Proteas Women, declining the final year of her three-year contract with the Melbourne Stars. At 36, she chose to focus on international duties ahead of the busy schedule of the Proteas Women's national team, causing her to completely miss the WBBL|12 season.
Cap signed with the Stars before the WBBL|10 and participated in all 11 previous WBBL seasons, playing for four different clubs in Australia. The Proteas Women's national team is preparing to play a rare series match against India, which will begin on December 9, just four days after the conclusion of WBBL|12. This series also includes three ODI matches and three T20I matches.
This tournament marathon is only the beginning of a demanding period for the Proteas Women: the Mandla Masimbi team will participate in the debut Women's Champions Cup in February, and then host Australia in a historic multi-format series in March and April.
Cap officially withdrew from WBBL|12 to dedicate time to upcoming international appearances. Her international future had long been uncertain after a poor start in 2026, when she missed games against India and Pakistan due to illness and injury.
Nevertheless, her contribution to Proteas' success remains key, as she performed brilliantly for the national team at the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, finishing the campaign with 124 runs and eight winning points, which earned her a place in the Tournament Team.
After this, Cap participated in various franchise T20 leagues. Notably, she showed excellent results for London Spirit in The Hundred tournament, scoring an average of 31.16 batting and taking 11 wickets at an average rate of 5.82. She currently plays for Trinbago Knight Riders Women in the CPL.
Stars General Manager James Rosengarten stated that the club will feel Cap's absence but respects her decision. He noted: 'We are certainly disappointed by the absence of a player of Marizanne's caliber this season. She is one of the best all-rounders in the world, but we understand her priorities at this stage, and this will give the Stars another opportunity.'
Laura Woolwardt, captain of the Proteas Women (Strikers), is currently the only South African athlete with a contract for the upcoming WBBL season. It is unclear what impact the match against India in December will have on her availability for the Strikers.