Suné Luus: We should learn from England, Australia, and India

By Benjamin Leshoro
7th November 2025

Proteas Women all-rounder Suné Luus has urged South African cricket to learn from the likes of England, Australia, and India in terms of how they’ve managed to grow their women’s game.

Speaking as the team landed back home from the World Cup and mere hours after losing the final to host nation India, Luus made the observation that the Women’s Premier League in that country had a lot to do with them winning their maiden World Cup title.

On the other hand, Australia and England have 11 world championships between them, and she believes South Africa would do well to try and copy what they’ve done right.

"We've seen how the WPL has exploded in India, and how that competition has helped their national team to make semifinals and finals consistently. We've also seen how England and Australia have been dominating, so it's a chance for us to learn from them and bridge those gaps."

READ: Quinton de Kock relishing newfound energy after international break

Luus bemoaned that there’s not nearly enough competitive cricket that the ladies play on the domestic front to get them sharpened for the international stage.

She called on the same league, like the highly successful SA20, to be provided for women for the benefit of the national team.

"We need to play more competitive franchise or club cricket throughout the year, and we can't just rely on four players that go to the WPL, the Hundred, or the Big Bash.

"I think the creation of a professional franchise women's league in South Africa needs to start happening in the next year or two. I think that is the only way we can start bridging the gap between our provincial set-up and the national team."

The 29-year-old also says it’s unfair to be compared to their male counterparts in South Africa, who have long been professionalised and far more resourced than the women.

Cricket South Africa only handed out the first central contracts to women in 2013.

Having captained the Proteas Women before, she also played a supporting role to current skipper Laura Wolvaardt at the World Cup, helping lead the team to a historic runners-up finish.