Exciting to be among the elite

Today is a very exciting day in the history of women’s cricket with the launch of the first-ever ODI player ratings for women. Here's the full list.

I think this is an important step for the game, as I really believe it will make a difference to the profile of the women’s game.

When you see what has happened to the women’s game in the last five years, I think it is very encouraging that we are beginning to get treated in the same way as the men’s players.

It doesn’t surprise me that Claire Taylor is the number one batter in the world. When we played against England in August we were all really impressed by her mental toughness.

Even when she is going through a difficult stage in her innings, she just keeps on focusing and makes sure that the scoreboard is ticking over.

You need that kind of attitude and consistency from your leading players if you want to be a top international team and I think that is why England has been so effective over the past year.

Jhulan Goswami also deserves to be the number one bowler in women’s cricket. She is a very difficult bowler to face.

I have played against at her in the World Cup and the Afro-Asia Cup and I think it is her pace that is one of her biggest assets. She also uses her height to extract bounce off the wickets and bowls an excellent line and length.

There aren’t many bowlers in the women’s international game that have all those assets and who apply them on a consistent basis.

I am also delighted there are some South Africans in the top 20 of the batting and bowling rankings.

It is an honour to be named in the top 20 of the batting rankings, while I am delighted the progress of Alicia Smith and Ashlyn Kilowan has also been recognised in the bowling rankings.

Since being dropped from the national team last year, Alicia has worked extremely hard not only to regain her place but really establish herself as one of the key players for South Africa

She is a very determined character and responds well to extra responsibility, which is why we used her to open the batting against England in some of matches on tour. I would expect her to emerge as one of the game’s leading al-rounders in the future.

Ashlyn’s story is an extraordinary one, given that she didn’t even start playing the game until after she left school, but she is a great example to provide to anybody on how hard work and dedication can help you achieve results. It is a terrific achievement to be in the top twenty of the world and I know everybody in our dressing room will be delighted for.

I am also really hopeful that we will see the likes of Charlize van der Westhuizen, Sunette Loubser and Trisha Chetty all be challenging for a place in the top 20 soon.

Our thoughts are still very much focused on the build up to the World Cup. Our provincial competition began in South Africa last weekend and we continually to work as hard as we can on our games to be ready for Australia in 2009.

The incentive of an improved player ranking will certainly be an added motivation for us and all the other teams to spend those extra hours in the gym or in the nets.