LATE last year, Mandla Mashimbyi was appointed as head coach of the Proteas Women's team after a successful stint as head coach of the Titans Division One.
Since his announcement, the 44-year-old has only observed from afar as Proteas Women hosted England Women in South Africa for a multi-format tour this past festive season.
Last week, Mashimbyi had his first session with the team when Cricket South Africa assembled the squad for a week-long training camp at the Centre of Excellence in Pretoria from 17 to 21 February 2025.
There, Mashimbyi highlighted his plans for the team and his philosophy as the side builds toward the 2025 ICC Women's ODI World Cup in India later this year.
The former fast bowler outlined 'bravery under pressure' as one of the key traits he will be looking for in his players.
"I want players that are going to be able to be brave under pressure," he said.
"I want players that are going to be confident to do what they know they can do. I want players that can trust their ability. And now, obviously, the challenge would be how to put all those together and make it a successful philosophy for this team.
"Also, you've got to look into the skills that the players themselves have and see where the gaps are and where you can actually play a role as a coach and try to uplift that so that that confidence can grow as well.
"But in terms of ability and skill, I think the players have got that. It's the other things surrounding that, that we probably need to work on a lot more."
Moreover, the 44-year-old also wants the players to connect on a much deeper level than they have, hoping to create stronger bonds within the team.
"The caring of one another, loving one another, enjoying each other's success, backing one another, wishing your teammates well," said Mashimbyi.
"Whoever's got an opportunity to win games for South Africa, always sees the good side of it. So those are the things that we're really going to have to leave no stone unturned. Even if you lose, knowing that you've done what you can do to give yourself the best chance to win, it's okay."
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