Proteas Women send World Cup message to Bafana Bafana

Mashimbyi was speaking as he prepares to lead his team in their own T20 World Cup, which begins a day after the football spectacle across the pond in England. 

He says Bafana’s performances at the tournament will be important for social cohesion in the country, and wished them the best to get as far as possible.

"Anything that has to do with South Africa and anything that can help inspire the country, I think it's worth spending a bit of time watching to see if there's success there. Sports can bring people together, and this is another opportunity for Bafana Bafana to do that."

Meanwhile his captain Laura Wolvaardt also says they will be watching Bafana Bafana with keen interest while in camp in England. 

She jokingly said it’s good that the two tournaments are running concurrently so all the pressure can be on the football team and not them. 

"Maybe it's a good thing for them to play first so that there's less attention us and we can fly under the radar a bit. Goodluck to them, I'm really excited to watch as a fan," said the Proteas Women skipper. 

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At the same time, Wolvaardt says they feel ready for the World Cup after a busy summer with both international and league cricket. Their most recent series was against India which they won 4-1 at home, and she hopes that will inject the required confidence within the team.