The match will be historic in more ways than one.

Firstly, it will be the first time in the long and proud history of the sport that three teams will face-off against each other in a single cricket match. While there is still much confusion about the rules, it will most likely be a case of wait and see. 

Secondly, it will also be the first sporting event to take place in South Africa since sport and the country went into lockdown due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. It is most certainly a very long way from calling it a post-Covid world, but it is a positive- and bold step to host a sporting event, and it has the potential to unlock sport for other sporting codes across the country.

Thirdly, and most importantly, it will be the very first time that a woman coaches a domestic cricket team loaded with international stars.

The former Proteas women’s captain, Mignon du Preez, will coach the Kingfishers who will feature star players such as the captain, Heinrich Klaasen, the former Proteas skipper, Faf du Plessis, and other players such as spinner, Tabraiz Shamsi, and the young all-rounder, Gerald Coetzee.

To date, no woman has coached a cricket team with this calibre of player, and it will truly be a momentous occasion. It will also be a wonderful and positive advertisement for the sport.

Acting Cricket South Africa CEO, Jacques Faul, told OFM Sport that he welcomes the decision to appoint the legendary Du Preez in such a prestigious position.

“She is such a wonderful player and ambassador for the game. SuperSport named a gate in honour of Mignon. 

“This the first step, to say: gender equality, how do we do it? How do we use this to indicate to the world that women and men can do the same job? 

“It is a great gesture and I think that it will probably go down in history because I don’t think a woman has ever coached a men’s team at this level.

“We try so hard to send out positive messages and do think in a way it probably does get ambushed and interpreted in a wrong way. 

“In South Africa, we’ve had challenges in terms of discrimination and racism, and people must speak out against it. 

“When it comes to the 3TC match, this is what we are trying to do. We are trying to highlight that we are against all forms of violence, especially gender-based violence. We said that we support Black Lives Matters, and we left to the players to decide how they are going to deal with it as an organisation. 

“We said ‘don’t interpret it as that we are not against other forms of violence’. We want to be seen as sport that unifies people and not divide them.”

While cricket as any other sporting code, certainly has its challenges, appointing Du Preez, who has left her mark on world cricket, as the coach is a very positive step, and may just well prove to be a game-changer in the sport.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport