South Africa’s Tazmin Brits has backed teenage star Karabo Meso to put the rest of the world on notice at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025.
The 18-year-old wicketkeeper is hotly tipped to make her major tournament debut after being named in Mandla Mashimbyi’s 15-strong squad.
Meso made her international bow aged just 16 in a T20I against Sri Lanka in March 2024 and has since cemented her position as one of the sport’s most exciting talents.
Brits, 34, has seen Meso’s development first-hand at Johannesburg's Lions and believes her domestic teammate can use the World Cup as a launchpad to push her career into the global spotlight.
“She’s a great talent,” said Brits, who shared a 128-run stand with Meso in the Lions’ win over the Titans in March. “I’m very excited for what she can bring to this team and I’m hoping we allow her the environment that she needs to showcase her talents.
“This can be a springboard for her, that she rocks up and is like, ‘here I am’. At the end of the day, yes, she is young, but I think talent outweighs anything no matter your age. I think if you’re good enough and you showcase that; the world will definitely take note.”
With over six years separating Meso from the next youngest member of South Africa’s travelling party, 24-year-old Annerie Dercksen, Brits has been impressed with her junior contemporary’s cricketing IQ and ability to read the game.
“I actually advocated that she should have joined us a bit earlier,” she continued. “I love batting with her. She’s very quick between the wickets and she’s got a good cricket brain, which being a keeper, helps a lot. She knows where to put field placings and when to take singles.
“With the Lions, we’ve had a few 50 and 100-run partnerships so I know her capability. I know international [cricket] is a different ball game. It's a different stage. But I think the more she gets those opportunities, the more she’ll showcase her talent. I’m very excited.”
South Africa head to the subcontinent knowing they have what it takes to reach the latter stages of international competitions having made the semifinals of the last two ICC Women’s Cricket World Cups and the final of the last two ICC Women’s T20 World Cups.
Despite not being able to make it over the line, Brits feels those losses have been an important learning curve for her and her teammates, standing them in good stead for their latest tilt at global glory.
“I’ll always back us, if you don't back your own team, then you're not heading in the right direction,” said Brits.
“We've looked at a few things and I think our combinations are good. In general, we’ve definitely been a bit stricter on ourselves to do what we need to do.
"We've been to two finals, yes, but it's time that we maybe get over the line. And I back our team to do that.
“I definitely think being in two finals makes a difference. We know what we're capable of and what it takes in order to win that final.”
Brits, a native of Klerksdorp in South Africa’s North West province, has been in fine individual form ahead of the World Cup, hitting two ODI hundreds against West Indies and India prior to plundering a career-best T20I score of 98 not out in June.
In the space of three days, she hit back-to-back centuries, including a career-high score of 171 not out as she enters perhaps the twilight of her career.
It is something that the opening batter is determined to continue and hopes to be able to give her side the foundations they need to chase big scores.
“People say I'm in good form,” she added. “Sometimes when you hit the ball like that, you don't always realise what you're doing. It's more like a flow.
“I'm very critical of myself. I always think I need to work hard, and I need to do better and hopefully I can do that at this World Cup. Hopefully that means I don’t just get one 100, I want to get a few of them so I can put the team in a good position.
“That's what I'm looking at. If we can put our team in a good spot, we’ve got the resources to chase scores of 300 or 330. I definitely think we're capable of that.”