Proteas U/19 girls captain Oluhle Siyo is prepared to make big sacrifices as she strives to realise her dream of playing for the senior women's national team.
Like many who play cricket, Siyo's introduction was when she played with boys at the age of 10. She also had to leave soccer as cricket became her main focus. Although she was still a child, she knew she wanted to be in cricket.
“I had that thing, it’s always what I wanted to do. I have always loved the sport from the start and each year I’ve learnt and it has got better and better for me. I love the sport and I want to take it professionally," said Siyo when reflecting on her cricket journey.
What's impressive about the batting all-rounder is the confidence she carries. She walks with swagger in her step and she speaks with a tone of self-knowledge. 'I’m someone who likes staying true to myself, being authentically me from the start," said Siyo.
"I’m confident in the person that I am. I love people; I love being around people, it may take a while for me to get used to people but I am a people's person. I love being in a team environment, that’s what attracted me to cricket," she said.
The Lions player was the captain of the U/19 girls at the inaugural U/19 Women's T20 World Cup. That experience built her capacity as a leader.
I'll do everything, anything to play for Proteas – Siyo
Teen part of CSA national academy training group
Image: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images
Proteas U/19 girls captain Oluhle Siyo is prepared to make big sacrifices as she strives to realise her dream of playing for the senior women's national team.
Like many who play cricket, Siyo's introduction was when she played with boys at the age of 10. She also had to leave soccer as cricket became her main focus. Although she was still a child, she knew she wanted to be in cricket.
“I had that thing, it’s always what I wanted to do. I have always loved the sport from the start and each year I’ve learnt and it has got better and better for me. I love the sport and I want to take it professionally," said Siyo when reflecting on her cricket journey.
What's impressive about the batting all-rounder is the confidence she carries. She walks with swagger in her step and she speaks with a tone of self-knowledge. 'I’m someone who likes staying true to myself, being authentically me from the start," said Siyo.
"I’m confident in the person that I am. I love people; I love being around people, it may take a while for me to get used to people but I am a people's person. I love being in a team environment, that’s what attracted me to cricket," she said.
The Lions player was the captain of the U/19 girls at the inaugural U/19 Women's T20 World Cup. That experience built her capacity as a leader.
School of hard knocks to produce talent for Proteas
“I knew the most important thing was to get the trust of all of the girls first. I knew if they can trust me, they can trust what I do and say and we can all work together on one mission.
"It’s not easy, it wasn’t easy, we had a really good group of girls. We went through tough times together. It made us stronger and made me stronger ... mentally and emotionally," she said.
Siyo is part of the CSA national academy training group for 2023 and that's a platform that will allow her to be aligned with what's wanted in international cricket.
"There’s a lot to sacrifice, but they’re good sacrifices because at the end of the day, it’s for the dream and end goal and the end goal is to play for the Proteas. I’m willing to do everything and anything to get to that stage. If it means sacrificing a lot, I’m up for it; it may be tough at the moment but I know the end goal is important," said the 19-year-old.
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