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
ESPNcricinfo staff
21-Jun-2016

Mignon du Preez expressed a desire to focus on her batting "which has taken a downturn in the last couple of seasons" • ICC/Getty Images
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.
CSA contracts 14 women for 2016-17
Cricket South Africa has announced the 14 players who have been awarded contracts for the 2016-17 season:
Dane van Niekerk, Trisha Chetty, Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Dinesha Devnarain, Matshipi Letsoalo, Moseline Daniels, Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Lizelle Lee, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khakha, Andrie Steyn
"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."