Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Friday, 25 September 2026, named an extended 28-player squad for a four-day red-ball training camp in Centurion, as the Proteas Women gear up for back-to-back Test matches against India and Australia in their home summer. The camp, scheduled from 27 to 30 September at the Irene Cricket Club, marks the first of two specialised preparation sessions ahead of the biggest red-ball programme in recent memory for South African women's cricket.

The Road to Two Big Tests

The primary target is a four-day Test against India, to be played at St George's Park in Gqeberha from 9 to 12 December. That is followed by a marquee Test against Australia at Potchefstroom in March 2027. The camp is the first of two planned sessions — the second will incorporate a full training match to put skills developed in the first phase into practice, according to the CSA announcement.

Who Is in the Squad

The extended roster draws from nationally contracted players, Emerging Academy recruits, and top performers from domestic cricket, alongside Test-capped regulars. Captain Laura Wolvaardt, Suné Luus, Nadine de Klerk, and Anneke Bosch are among the experienced names included. Notably, all-rounder Marizanne Kapp is a conspicuous absentee from the 28-player group. The full squad reads: Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Alexandra Candler, Izel Cilliers, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi, Nicolien Janse van Rensburg, Leah Jones, Yasmeen Khan, Masabata Klaas, Simoné Lourens, Suné Luus, Tebogo Macheke, Eliz-Mari Marx, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Nthabiseng Nini, Luyanda Nzuza, Kayla Reyneke, Nondumiso Shangase, Tumi Sekhukhune, Miané Smit, Faye Tunnicliffe, and Caitlin Wyngaard.

What the Head Coach Said

Head coach Mandla Mashimbyi described the camp as a significant developmental milestone for the group. 'This is another great chapter for the Proteas Women as a group. Preparing for and playing red-ball cricket is something that excites us as players and coaches. We are a team that is always eager to learn and grow as cricketers, and the longer format of the game goes a long way towards helping us achieve that continuous development,' he said in a statement released by CSA.

Mashimbyi also explained the deliberate breadth of the selection. 'We've purposefully cast the net wide with the players we have invited to the camp, with the aim of building a solid base of cricketers we can look to when it comes to the skills and mentality required to be successful in red-ball cricket and beyond,' he added.

Beyond the Longer Format

The coaching staff indicated that the camp's benefits are intended to extend well beyond Test cricket. Mashimbyi noted that the technical and tactical work would 'also help us prepare for the challenges ahead in One-Day International and T20 International cricket.' Building squad culture was cited as an equally important objective, with the coach stressing the value of extended time together as a group. This comes amid a broader global push to grow women's Test cricket, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) actively encouraging more bilateral red-ball fixtures across nations.

What Comes Next

A second training camp — details of which are yet to be announced by CSA — will follow the Centurion session and will include a practice match to simulate Test conditions. With two high-profile red-ball fixtures on the horizon, the Proteas Women's preparation through these camps will be closely watched as a measure of how seriously South Africa is investing in the longer format of the women's game.