From Lizelle Lee to Dane van Niekerk: How fitness parameters have influenced cricket?

Star South African opener Lizelle Lee retired from international cricket in July 2022. It wasn’t a usual retirement, where the players seem satisfied with what they have achieved. However, Lee had to retire because she failed to meet the fitness parameters set by Cricket South Africa (CSA).

Lee, previously in June 2022, was dropped from the South African Women's tour of Ireland due to her weight. However, she was part of a one-off Test against England at the end of June 2022, where she scored 0 and 36 in her two innings.

After that Test, she was asked to return home and work on her fitness. If done otherwise, Cricket South Africa (CSA) threatened to withdraw her No Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in overseas leagues.

Considering her family and financial conditions, Lee decided to retire from international cricket, so getting NOC would be easier. What made headlines was the CSA’s ‘not interested’ approach towards Lee. As she stated on the BBC, the CSA was ‘sad’ to see her go but didn’t offer any help to let her stay.

She later played in the Hundred 2022 for Manchester Originals and scored 169 runs in six innings. She was also a part of the Women’s Big Bash League 2022 (WBBL), playing for the Hobart Hurricanes, scoring 296 runs in 14 innings.

More importantly, the 30-year-old was the leading run-getter in women’s ODIs in 2021 with an average above 90.

Lee made it to fitness and running, but the weight. Despite being one of the most hard-hitting batters in the women’s game, she was dropped because of "failing the fitness battery."

Dane van Niekerk to miss the women's T20 World Cup 2023

Lee is no longer the only person that has been affected harshly by CSA's fitness rule. Incumbent Proteas skipper Dane van Niekerk will miss the upcoming women’s T20 World Cup hosted by her own country. Reportedly, Niekerk botched to pass the 2km running test, which is an essential criterion to wear the national team’s jersey.

According to ESPNcricinfo, South Africa’s fitness standards require female cricketers to run 2 kilometers within nine minutes and 30 seconds. It is alleged that Niekerk missed out by 18 seconds, which cost her a World Cup berth, irrespective of for form.

Furthermore, according to Clinton du Preez, the women’s selection chief, Niekerk was also tested on the treadmill where too she couldn’t get off the mark.

The same thing happened to South African male pacer Sisanda Magala when he failed to pass a 2km running trial and didn’t make it into the national team in November 2022.

Niekerk played her last international game back in September 2021. Nevertheless, the leg-spinning all-rounder then featured in the Hundred 2022 and led Oval Invincibles to the title for the second time in a row.

However, a broken ankle kept her away from cricket before she made a return to training with the national squad in the ongoing tri-series, involving India and the West Indies.

Until now, under Niekerk’s leadership, South Africa have reached the semi-finals of the 2020 women’s T20 World Cup. The side also featured in the semi-finals of the Women’s 2017 World Cup.

Whether it was Lee, Niekerk, or even Magala, as well as some male cricketers like Azam Khan and Rahkeem Cornwall, all faced several challenges. Not only does it seem to be about missing a few games or a tournament, but also a feeling of being "absolutely broken" as described by Niekerk, "taking away someone’s ability to earn money for their family," narrated by Magala, and "emotionally draining," as quoted by Lee.

Also currently in the case of Niekerk, Sune Luus will lead a less experienced side in the absence of Niekerk, Lee, and Mignon du Preez, the recently retired and former South African captain.