The mighty heart of South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp

Express News Service

GEBERHA: “You just say one mean word to me and I’ll start crying,” laughs Marizanne Kapp. This is someone who has played five ODI and six T20 World Cups (2023 is her seventh) and has 3719 runs and 217 international wickets next to her name. On the field, Marizanne is one of the fiercest competitors in the world.

And yet, here she was, saying that she would be in tears at the drop of one mean word. That pretty much sums up Kapp as a person. A fearless fighter and a passionate athlete on the field and a shy, soft-spoken, meticulous individual off it. She is someone who bats for long hours at the nets before going into a game or stays awake to visualise her bowling, in complete contrast to her wife and South Africa’s regular captain, Dane van Niekerk. Having made her South Africa debut way back in 2009, the all-rounder has come a long way to become one of the stalwarts of the game. 

After dominating the 50-over format in 2022, she followed it up with a stellar show in the WBBL; 229 runs at a strike rate of 143.12. It has helped her grow in confidence and trust her ability a lot more than she used to in the past.  While 2022 was one of her best years on the field in a 13-year-long career, off it, she was struggling.

Earlier in the year, Van Niekerk had slipped near the pool at their home, fracturing her ankle. As a result, she missed the ODI World Cup. Watching her partner miss the dream of leading her country at a World Cup was a big challenge for her. 

In July, her brother-in-law met with an accident. Her nephews fell unwell. It was too such an extent that she left the England tour midway to be with her family and did not take part in the Commonwealth Games. Add to that, she had gotten Covid four times in the year.

As someone who is private, it was her faith and constant support of the team doctor Tshegofatso Gaetsewe that got her through the tough times.

“I think if she (Gaetsewe) wasn’t there, if it wasn’t for her, I would have probably called it quits this year because that’s how mentally drained I was,” she tells this daily. “I really struggled. I think this past year, even though I was achieving a lot of success on the field, when I left the field, I cried more than I’ve probably cried in the last 10 years of my life. It was literally through praying and having our team doctor there assisting me that I managed to still play some decent cricket.” 

For her, cricket was a distraction of sorts from what was happening off the field. The moment she swapped her everyday attire for the jersey, it was a different story. “When I was playing, and, obviously, when you do well, I love that and it was so good for me personally. But then as soon as I walk off the field, it’s like, ‘I hate it, I want to stop playing cricket, I want to retire. I don’t want to be here anymore.’ So it’s been tough. I think, if I didn’t have what I had on the field (in terms of performances), it would have probably been a different tale.”

As South Africa is set to take on Australia in a must-win game at Gqeberha, Kapp is getting ready to play her first international game in her hometown but she will not have her partner by her side to walk onto the field. Van Niekerk was not picked as she could not meet the 9.30 minute 2km run criteria by 18 seconds. Despite being heartbroken, the all-rounder was breathing fire with the ball in the game against New Zealand in Paarl last week. Saturday is expected to be no different.

<br /> GEBERHA: “You just say one mean word to me and I’ll start crying,” laughs Marizanne Kapp. This is someone who has played five ODI and six T20 World Cups (2023 is her seventh) and has 3719 runs and 217 international wickets next to her name. On the field, Marizanne is one of the fiercest competitors in the world.</p> <p>And yet, here she was, saying that she would be in tears at the drop of one mean word. That pretty much sums up Kapp as a person. A fearless fighter and a passionate athlete on the field and a shy, soft-spoken, meticulous individual off it. She is someone who bats for long hours at the nets before going into a game or stays awake to visualise her bowling, in complete contrast to her wife and South Africa’s regular captain, Dane van Niekerk. Having made her South Africa debut way back in 2009, the all-rounder has come a long way to become one of the stalwarts of the game. </p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>After dominating the 50-over format in 2022, she followed it up with a stellar show in the WBBL; 229 runs at a strike rate of 143.12. It has helped her grow in confidence and trust her ability a lot more than she used to in the past.  While 2022 was one of her best years on the field in a 13-year-long career, off it, she was struggling.</p> <p>Earlier in the year, Van Niekerk had slipped near the pool at their home, fracturing her ankle. As a result, she missed the ODI World Cup. Watching her partner miss the dream of leading her country at a World Cup was a big challenge for her. </p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>In July, her brother-in-law met with an accident. Her nephews fell unwell. It was too such an extent that she left the England tour midway to be with her family and did not take part in the Commonwealth Games. Add to that, she had gotten Covid four times in the year.</p> <p>As someone who is private, it was her faith and constant support of the team doctor Tshegofatso Gaetsewe that got her through the tough times.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>“I think if she (Gaetsewe) wasn’t there, if it wasn’t for her, I would have probably called it quits this year because that’s how mentally drained I was,” she tells this daily. “I really struggled. I think this past year, even though I was achieving a lot of success on the field, when I left the field, I cried more than I’ve probably cried in the last 10 years of my life. It was literally through praying and having our team doctor there assisting me that I managed to still play some decent cricket.” </p> <p>For her, cricket was a distraction of sorts from what was happening off the field. The moment she swapped her everyday attire for the jersey, it was a different story. “When I was playing, and, obviously, when you do well, I love that and it was so good for me personally. But then as soon as I walk off the field, it’s like, ‘I hate it, I want to stop playing cricket, I want to retire. I don’t want to be here anymore.’ So it’s been tough. I think, if I didn’t have what I had on the field (in terms of performances), it would have probably been a different tale.”</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>As South Africa is set to take on Australia in a must-win game at Gqeberha, Kapp is getting ready to play her first international game in her hometown but she will not have her partner by her side to walk onto the field. Van Niekerk was not picked as she could not meet the 9.30 minute 2km run criteria by 18 seconds. Despite being heartbroken, the all-rounder was breathing fire with the ball in the game against New Zealand in Paarl last week. Saturday is expected to be no different.</p> <p>