Nicolette Lategan | SA’s finest women’s captain deserves more respect than opportunistic Fox headline

By all accounts, former Proteas captain Dane van Niekerk is taking in the Bangalore air, reveling in the Women’s Premier League spoils as a cricketing mercenary, as her talents have afforded her, in the sport’s land of milk and honey.

That is, when she’s not spluttering, 'Excuse me???' at the sight of opportunistic journalism that diminishes her fine career with a throw-away gambol that reads: 'Fat-shamed cricket star to retire after 2km cut-off controversy'.

What is the likelihood of South Africa’s most successful women’s cricket captain retiring from international cricket in peace? Not very high, it seems. 

Don’t know who needs to hear this – uhm, Fox Sports perhaps – but Dane van Niekerk’s omission from the Proteas women’s T20 World Cup squad was never about fat-shaming.

As deliciously tempting as the unfortunate headline might have been, the giddy scribe who wanted to dine out on the clickbait had, sadly, failed to read the room, and the Fox foot is snugly lodged in mouth.

Nice article ?@FoxCricket? ???? contributing 100% towards players mental health struggles, good on you! https://t.co/bqPb4vymqX

It’s time the so-called cricket bourgeoisie wrapped its head around the merits of women’s sport.

Certainly, it’s probably a good time to have the conversation as the formerly man’s world of sport navigates new language and parameters while professional women athletes continue to kick the door down on the world stage.

Treat Van Niekerk’s omission from the World Cup with the reverence it deserves. An athlete of the former Proteas’ captain’s caliber would expect to be held accountable to nothing less, as disappointing as it may have been.

There will always be the days of Dane. She remains the most successful Proteas captain in