Marizanne Kapp is South Africa’s greatest female cricketer, but her career is unfulfilled.
Through five ODI and eight T20 World Cups, four Tests and nearly 300 international matches, the 35-year-old has pushed herself further than she should have.
She has a chronic heart condition that causes an elevated heart rate. Playing a summer sport like cricket — often in blazing temperatures — is a risk that most wouldn’t take.
Kapp ended up in hospital once in Australia, after retiring hurt while batting because of the condition. It was also partly responsible for her missing the T20 World Cup semifinal in Sydney 2022.
That Kapp has been able to achieve all she has — global recognition for her cricket deeds and finally able to earn financial benefits having spent the first five years of her international career playing as an amateur — is testament, not just to her determination, but to her love for this sport.
In the past year, Kapp had to be carefully managed as she prepared for this year’s World Cup. She wasn’t picked for a triangular series in Sri Lanka in May, widely viewed as crucial for South Africa’s preparation.
“When we rested her for Sri Lanka, it was to ensure that come the World Cup, we don’t have chats about a quota [of overs she could bowl],” said head coach Mandla Mashimbyi before the World Cup.
Here to win World Cup
“She’s bowled in every game, she wants to bowl all the time. We’ve not discussed how we have to manage her. and that has been a big help [tactically]. We’re here to win [the] World Cup. We have nine games to play, and she has to play all those games to give us the best chance to win.”
The benefits of that circumspect approach were seen in the semifinal against England, where Kapp produced one of the finest all-round performances of her stellar career; a momentum-changing 42 with the bat followed by 5/20 with the ball.
Her pure striking took the pressure off Laura Wolvaardt at a time when South Africa had lost three quick wickets, and the captain was experiencing a dip.
When she bowled, Kapp delivered a couple of memorable deliveries to shatter England’s chances once and for all.
Today is the first time a South African side has played in an ODI World Cup final. As has been the case with the men, the Proteas Women have endured heartache too — most notably that 2017 semifinal against England that left Kapp sobbing into her playing shirt.
Want to go all the way
For most of the Proteas Women’s team, including Kapp, it is a third final — itself a laudable achievement — but the absence of silverware has left a hollow feeling.
“I feel that we’re not happy with reaching World Cup finals anymore, we really want to go all the way,” said Kapp.
She’ll be 39 when the next ODI World Cup tournament rolls around, and although she’s not said anything officially, it’s unlikely she’ll reach that competition.
Today, the emotional toil, the physical sacrifices and the simple love of the game have put one of the country’s greatest athletes on the brink of fulfilment.
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