Proteas wicket-keeper Sinalo Jafta celebrates her maiden ODI half-century.
Image: Cricket SA
Proteas Women’s wicket-keeper Sinalo Jafta is filled with confidence ahead of the second ODI against Pakistan at Centurion on Wednesday (starts 1pm).
The veteran broke through a glass ceiling in Bloemfontein in the first ODI when she struck her maiden half-century in her 50th ODI.
“I think for me it's just a relief feeling because I always knew it was possible,” Jafta said. “I think with my faith and my belief, it was always meant to happen when it was supposed to happen. It's always God's time, never mind.
“If it was up to me, it would have happened much sooner. But if anything, everything has its purpose and its own journey.
“But I think when you look at the holistic picture, I just had to have belief and going forward my approach won't change. Just play a positive brand of cricket and then we take it from there. I take a lot of confidence.”
Jafta will be hoping for a follow-up performance as the Proteas look to close out the ODI series with a game to go. She believes it will come down to how they keep to their disciplines in their respective tasks.
“We'd like to close it off early. And I mean, we always spoke about being dominant. If anything, we'd love to go for the 3-0. I think once we keep it simple, be disciplined and also be patient, then we know that we either set a total that's defendable or we just go for it and dominate,” she said.
“And I think the one thing is we just want to play a positive brand of cricket. Just to build up, especially with the year that's ahead. But at the end of the day, we've got one more game ahead of us and we just want to play the best cricket for the day. Black Day, ODI after that.”
Proteas Women: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Suné Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Chloé Tryon, Faye Tunnicliffe
Pakistan Women: Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab