CSA initially did not provide a reason for Luus resigning but later said she chose to “to focus on her cricket.” Moreeng echoed that line. “She decided to step down because she wants to contribute to the team and focus on her performances. In the beginning, it was tough but we had to accept that’s how the player feels. She feels she can contribute more (not as captain).”
Already one of those goals has been met. This week, CSA announced that the top-tier of women’s domestic cricket will be made professional and that each of the six teams competing can contract 11 players and a full-time backroom staff.
Moreeng came close to achieving the second – winning a World Cup – when he oversaw South Africa’s run to the T20 World Cup final earlier this year. “As a country, we can say, we are closing the gap slowly,” he said. “When you look at the top three teams, we are closing the gap.” Given that he has also taken the team to the last two ODI World Cup semi-finals, he called it “frustrating,” to hear calls for his ouster but added “that is the country we live in.” It is ESPNcricinfo’s understanding that the players are not unhappy with Moreeng as a person, but are after a change of ideas.