‘Want to play again and have fun’ – Dane van Niekerk signs for Western Province

Van Niekerk has not played any cricket since The Hundred in August last year, which she was forced to leave early after fracturing her right thumb. Before that, she captained Sunrisers in the Rachel Heyhoe-Flint Trophy, where they finished fourth, and had a stint in the first edition of the WPL, where she was part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru outfit. She has not played for South Africa since 2021 and retired from international cricket in March last year, shortly after she missed out on South Africa’s T20 World Cup 2023 squad because she was unable to meet Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) standards.