Cricket South Africa (CAS) has named a strong and experienced squad to do battle at the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for Australia next month.

South Africa open their Pool stage fixtures with a titanic clash against England Women on February 23 at the WACA Ground in Perth.

With 11 out of the selected 15 players by coach Hilton Moreeng and his convener of selectors having taken part in the promising 2018 World Cup, Mooreng says he is confident the teams’ experience will help them a lot at this tournament.

The Proteas Women are grouped with England, Thailand, Pakistan, and West Indies with only the top two teams progressing to the semi-finals while India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and New Zealand complete the second pool.

With a T20 Series against New Zealand in their backyard starting next week, Moreeng says he is pleased with their planning going into the competition.

Proteas medium-pacer Ayabonga Khaka, who recently returned from a lengthy injury lay-off after surgery on her right shoulder, believes that if they do their basics to the Tea, there is no team that can beat them.

The 27-year-old Khaka says if they can put their minds to it, they could achieve it and finish the tournament unbeaten with the trophy coming to South Africa.

Khaka, who suffered a career-threatening shoulder injury and had to undergo surgery following her move from Border to Gauteng Women three years ago.

Having been in a race against time at one stage, the Middledrift-born wicket-taker says she is thankful to be back with the team.

Proteas Women T20 squad: Dane Van Niekerk (captain – Eastern Province), Laura Wolvaardt (Western Province), Lizelle Lee (North West), Mignon Du Preez (Northerns), Marizanne Kapp (Eastern Province), Sune Luus (Northerns), Chloe Tryon (vice-captain – KZN Coastal), Shabnim Ismail (KZN Coastal), Ayabonga Khaka (Gauteng), Masabata Klaas (North West), Tumi Sekhukhune (North West), Trisha Chetty (KZN Coastal), Nonkululeko Mlaba (KZN Coastal), Nadine De Klerk (Western Province), Nondumiso Shangase (KZN Coastal) – Report by Thando Gqamane