Dane Van Niekerk out of quadrangular series with foot injury

South Africa Women captain Dane van Niekerk will be out of action for ‘four to six weeks’ following a foot injury, Cricket South Africa revealed on Tuesday (May 2). Niekerk, who suffered a Type 1 tear of the plantar capsule, has therefore been ruled out of the quadrangular ODI series at home – also featuring India, Ireland and Zimbabwe – that starts on Sunday.

While the hosts have decided against naming a replacement for Niekerk, a stand-in skipper will be announced shortly, said CSA.

Disappointed by the loss, coach Hilton Moreeng is however hopeful that the captain will be able to recover in time for the upcoming 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup in England and Wales. “It’s not ideal to lose our captain in the last stages of our preparation for the World Cup, but this is a good opportunity for someone to step up to the plate and fulfill this key all-rounder role in the squad,” he said. “We wish Dane a very speedy recovery and look forward to having her back.”