Lara Goodall earns maiden national contract for 2021-22 season

Lara Goodall, who has impressed everyone with her performance in the ongoing ODI series against India, has earned her first national contract with South Africa for the 2021-22 season, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on Tuesday (March 16). Goodall is the only new member added to the squad as CSA made decision to increase women central contracts from 14 to 15.



Goodall has scored 124 runs at an average of 62 so far from the four ODIs during the India tour including a match-winning unbeaten 59 in the fourth ODI during South Africa’s highest successful chase on their way to the series win. The left-handed batter is the only addition to the contract list from the 2020-21 season.



““It is a matter of great pride that CSA has increased the number of women’s contracts from 14 to 15 for the very first time. On behalf of CSA, I would like to congratulate Lara Goodall and Heinrich Klaasen (men’s newly contracted player) on their newly awarded contracts,” Pholetsi Moseki, CSA Acting Chief Executive, said.



“Their performances on the field of play as well as the way they have carried themselves off the field has done the talking for them and we are pleased to reward the hard work that they have put in.”



Lara Goodall © BCCI



According to CSA, there will be an upgrade system in place and those uncontracted players who get selected for the national side can qualify for a national contract upgrade depending on performance.



“We are confident that the number of selected players for both the men’s and women’s teams is sufficient to maintain them across the formats in which they participate,” Moseki added.



“We are about to enter into a very import cricket season with ICC World Cup events for both the men’s and the women’s teams and we are confident that we have the correct personnel and necessary depth within the system to produce teams that will challenge the best in the world in the coming 12 months.”



ALSO READ: Lizelle Lee moves to top of ICC ODI rankings



CSA contracted players: Trisha Chetty, Nadine de Klerk, Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe Tryon, Dane van Niekerk, Laura Wolvaardt.