Du Preez steps down as South Africa Women's captain

Mignon du Preez has announced that she will step down from captaining the South Africa Women's team in all formats with immediate effect. She will be succeeded by legspinner Dane van Niekerk.

Du Preez, who has led South Africa in 46 ODIs, 50 T20Is and a Test match in her four years as captain, said her decision to step down stemmed from a desire to focus more on her batting.

"This was an incredibly difficult decision and took a lot of introspection, but ultimately I believe that this is the best step forward not only for myself, but for the team," du Preez said. "Stepping down from the captaincy role will give me an opportunity to work on my own game, which has taken a downturn in the last couple of seasons. I believe I can make a better contribution by putting runs on the board, and offering support and advice to the next captain."

At 23, van Niekerk already has considerable international experience, having played 56 ODIs, 57 T20Is and a Test match. She described the appointment as "the biggest honour of [her] career so far".

"Captaining my country has been a dream since I began playing cricket, and I am humbled that CSA have chosen me for the job," van Niekerk said. "I would like to thank Mignon for paving the way and bringing the team this far. I look forward to filling her shoes as best I can and moving the team forward."