The former England captain Nasser Hussain on the ICC TV’s latest podcast ‘The ICC Review’ Proteas registered an emphatic victory against the Netherlands after being hammered in their first encounter by powerhouse Australia and keeping their semi-final chances alive with a thrilling victory over India too.

Hussain lauded the confidence of the batting line up who were in a dismal shape during the initial stages of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. The Proteas skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s steady contributions in partnership with opener Tazmin Brits who scored her maiden century against the Dutch the South African team’s batting unit showed a more settled approach in their last two games of the group.

Nasser Hussain revealed on The ICC Review :

“I think that comes from their captain, their backroom staff and their coaching staff. There’s a real self-belief in that side that they can recover, They’ve had a few issues at the top of the order but Tazmin Brits has come in and got runs on a difficult pitch, then yesterday against the Netherlands she smashed a hundred." I think they’ve sorted that opening combination”.

He further compared South Africa’s ability to come back from the dead to the 50-over World Cup where England thrashed them, only for them to make the final and stated: “The same here. In the first game against Australia they got hammered but they have a resilience to them”.

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It was an opening wicket partnership of 112 between Brits and Wolvaardt against Bangladesh that helped them make a quick start to the chase but South Africa’s openers, Briths and vice-captain Tazmin Brits together with her top order including opener Tazmin Brits Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp faltered to make significant score on difficult conditions in the first few games of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Their batters bounced back against the Dutch women however and continued that form into the must-win tie against India.

expressed Nasser Hussain on Kapp’s all-round performance against India : 

“If I’m looking in world cricket, a clutch player under pressure to deliver it’s Marizanne Kapp. They were 25 for two the game was drifting away the run rate was going up at 10 an over and the way Marizanne played and it’s not just a one-off  as she smashed 81* off just 45 balls and clinched two wickets to hand her team a memorable victory at Newlands. “It’s always Marizanne Kapp." 

He further added :

If you want someone to deliver under pressure, Marizanne Kapp with the bat, with the ball. If South Africa get to the knockout stage, she is absolutely the key player”.

After an astonishing turn of fortunes over their past two games South Africa will take on Bangladesh in their final group stage encounter and their chances of sealing a semi-final spot now hinge on a victory against them and the result of the final group match between rivals India and Australia.

South Africa and India are both locked on six points from four matches with the final group stage spot going down to a nail-biting conclusion on Tuesday. If South Africa can do the business against Bangladesh, and Australia emerge victorious over India, the Proteas can find themselves in the knockout stages with all their hard work. If India manage a win however it will be net run rate that comes into play to determine who progresses.