The Proteas women will open the series against the White Ferns on Sunday in Mount Maunganui in an afternoon game, followed by their male counterparts facing off against each other in the evening.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt's great. I think while we're here, we might as well play a couple of extra games, especially with the World Cup right around the corner. That's obviously the main focus, playing as much T20 cricket as we can. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cFive games sort of give you the chance to try a few things as well. You have enough games to tweak a few things here or there. It's a great initiative and hopefully we can win the series,\u201d said Laura on the eve of the series opener, in a Cricket South Africa (CSA) statement.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
This arrangement is part of a historic double-header that marks the first time both South African teams playing a full series of back-to-back games against the same nation, something which has left Laura very excited.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cYou sort of feel like one big team over here, sharing knowledge and chatting to them. And just seeing how they go about things is cool for me as well. It doesn't happen a lot that you sort of tour side by side but I think it'll be very cool cricket-wise as well to watch their game after ours,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Stand-in men's captain Keshav Maharaj echoed the sentiment around rise of women's cricket worldwide. \u201cWomen's cricket has come along in leaps and bounds, and it's wonderful for them to have the stage as well. They\u2019ve played some amazing cricket and some very exciting cricket games that have gone down to the wire - It's also exciting for us to be able to witness it live.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The last time Proteas Women faced the White Ferns was in the T20 World Cup 2024 final in Dubai, where the latter won the trophy. Meanwhile, the Proteas Men met the Blackcaps earlier this month in the semi-final of the 2026 Men\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026 in Kolkata, where they lost by nine wickets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Proteas men\u2019s squad features five uncapped players - Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, Jordan Hermann, Nqobani Mokoena and Prenelan Subrayen. \u201cIt\u2019s always been a wonderful rivalry. Good cricket played on the field, but there's still that respect that's between both sides.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cNew Zealand are a really strong side, obviously coming off a really big high coming from India. But I think with the squad that we have, there's a lot of energy within the environment being a lot younger. So hopefully it will be a good, strong series.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAnd fingers crossed we come on top. We also want to try and win with a really young side. Shuks said the other day, what a story it would be to tell when you get on that flight to go back home and be like, \u2018wow, that was amazing and special to be a part of,\u2019\u201d added Maharaj. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
The opening game on Sunday will also mark Maharaj\u2019s 50th T20I appearance. He made his T20I debut in 2021 and has since become one of the Proteas\u2019 most dependable performers. \u201cWhat\u2019s it been, five years? I made my debut in Sri Lanka as captain and here I am in my 50th. I've got the same buzz and energy, and I try to stay true to what I do.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAnd fingers crossed we come on top. We also want to try and win with a really young side. Shuks said the other day, what a story it would be to tell when you get on that flight to go back home and be like, \u2018wow, that was amazing and special to be a part of,\u2019\u201d added Maharaj. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAnd I try to emulate that style, not just as a captain, but just from a senior player within the environment, taking guys under my wing and basically just sort of being that father figure to them,\u201d concluded Maharaj. <\/p>\r\n\r\n