Bulawayo, Sep 11 (IANS) Declaring her readiness to leave everything on the field without any regrets, uncapped South Africa fast bowler Caitlin Wyngaard said she is eyeing a memorable international debut in the historic five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, starting later on Friday.
Caitlin, who has earned her maiden Proteas women call-up for the September 11-19 tour, insists her commitment to the game is absolute as she stands on the threshold of fulfilling a lifelong dream.
“Cricket is like everything to me. That moment is going to be very, very, very important and special to me. It’s going to be a big thing, but I’m not going to cry. I just want to give my all. Leave everything out on the field. I don’t want to have any regrets and say I should have done that. That’s my main focus now,” she said in a statement on Friday.
Her journey towards playing cricket began at the age of seven playing alongside boys, where she developed a penchant for aggressive pace bowling. “I don’t know, I just like hurting people with the ball. I still remember the first time I bowled against the boys. The coach was there, and I was just like, let’s try this. And then I tried, and I hit the boy in the net, and I was like, this is fun.”
Crediting her father Enver Wyngaard for shaping her early days as her primary coach, the right-arm quick attributes her growth to a disciplined mindset. “My dad, he played a very important role. I mean, I started when I was seven, playing with boys. He’s been my coach, that one. Every step of the way, he’s been there.”
Describing herself as ‘fearless and focused,’ Caitlin believes these attributes pushed her through the Western Province ranks and Cricket South Africa’s talent pathways, despite missing out on the 2023 U19 T20 World Cup squad. “Fearless and focused, and I give it my all. I am very serious when it comes to cricket. It’s always been there. It’s a big part of me. So I don’t take it lightly.”
Caitlin is among four uncapped players in the squad alongside Luyanda Nzuza, Nthabiseng Nini, and Jae-Leigh Filander for the series at Bulawayo’s Queen’s Sports Club. Having previously attended national camps, she acknowledged the elevated intensity of the senior setup.
“I will tell you, the standard is very high here. Coming in, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. And also, everyone’s chilled, everyone gels together. It’s very nice being around the team,” she concluded.
–IANS
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