Kapp still angry after mystery illness ended Cup dream

South African star Marizanne Kapp has revealed she remains angst-ridden over the mystery illness that prevented her from taking the field in her side’s T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to Australia last month.

Kapp was forced to watch from a hospital bed as her team went down at the SCG in a rain-affected affair, as she battled the viral infection that had hampered her throughout the tournament.

The fiery allrounder missed the Proteas group stage match against Thailand and while she returned for their clash with Pakistan in Sydney, she only managed to bat before failing to take the field for her team’s bowling innings.

With a semi-final berth secured, Kapp was due to sit out the Proteas’ final group match against West Indies – a match washed out without a ball being bowled – but the illness persisted as she missed training sessions, before the call was made to leave her out of the semi-final, which Australia went on to win by five runs (DLS).

"I made the choice to play the game against Pakistan where I wasn't 100 per cent," Kapp told reporters during a joint video-conference with teammate and wife Dane van Niekerk from Port Elizabeth, where they are in lockdown.

"But that day it happened to be 30 degrees or higher, so I think that just put my body into shock and I didn't recover after that.

"It’s something I’m going to have to look at, I spoke to our team doctor because I seem to get sick literally every three weeks, so it’s something I’ll keep an eye on.

"I’m very annoyed I missed that semi-final."

The cause of the illness - which was unrelated to the coronavirus pandemic - and its severity remains a mystery to the South African allrounder, who also missed matches during her team’s tour of New Zealand that preceded the World Cup – but she has a suspicion her diet may have played a role.

"We did a lot of tests in Australia and when we got home and I am sick and tired of giving blood but we couldn't find anything," Kapp, who confirmed she has now fully recovered, said.

"I was still quite sick when I got home and was off for another two or three weeks.

"I am a vegetarian, so I don't always eat as well as I should.

"Sometimes if I have a really tough game or training session, I seem to get sick the next day."

For Kapp’s wife van Niekerk, the decision to leave her strike bowler and pinch hitter on the sidelines was an incredibly tough one made even harder by their personal relationship.

"I was very conflicted, it was a very difficult decision," van Niekerk said.

"I was sitting with (coach) Hilton Moreeng, and we had a lot of time (to make a decision) because of the weather.

"He is a family guy and I said to him it was difficult for me to know what to do.

"But the way she looked, it would have been wrong for us to push her to play a game.

"Yes, it was a semi-final and it was very important but with a team like ours, I am sure we will get into more semi-finals and she will get her shot to play in another semi-final."

Both Kapp and van Niekerk hope that next opportunity will come in New Zealand early next year, when the 2021 one-day World Cup is scheduled to be played.

The coronavirus pandemic means there is some doubt around whether that event proceeds as planned, but both South African stars remain hopeful.

Currently, a national lockdown in South Africa is keeping them confined to their home on Port Elizabeth – an extended break Kapp concedes will be beneficial given her health concerns, but still admits is making her stir crazy.

"I am quite annoyed by the lockdown (but) even though I didn't want this break, it's a good break for me," Kapp said.

"I love watching cricket and talking about cricket but Dane is the one that has tried to teach me that cricket isn't everything.

"Because to me, cricket is everything."