The first thing you notice of Proteas Women spinner, Nonkululeko Mlaba, is her bright smile.

This is just an extension of her love and enjoyment of cricket. When she speaks about the game, she lights up. When she takes a wicket, she glows and oozes passion.

Mlaba (25) has grown into one the best spin bowlers in the world and has seen herself consistently in the top 10 of the ICC Women’s T20 International bowling rankings. She is currently in sixth position,

“It’s very nice to see my name on the rankings. It’s a proud moment for me and it keeps motivating me to stay there and work hard.”

Mlaba has taken 129 wickets for the Proteas Women across all formats. She is a proven wicket-taker and an invaluable asset to her team.

Mlaba, born and bred in Durban, states that her love for cricket started at high school when she was 13 years old.

“I started as a fast bowler, but our team at that time needed something different. So, as a left-arm bowler, I transitioned to spin to give more variety in terms of bowling option,” adds Mlaba, who represents the Dolphins domestically.

Mlaba made her debut for the Proteas Women in 2019 at only 19 years of age and has since blossomed into their premier left-arm spin bowler. She showed her class when she became the first South African to take 10 wickets in a test against England in 2024.

It was also the year where she took 12 wickets at an average of 11 at the 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup, where the Proteas Women took the runner-up spot.

The talented left-arm spinner mentions that she has learned a lot from Proteas Men’s spinner, Keshav Maharaj.

“I look up to Keshav. He bowls well under pressure. I learn a lot from him at training. He just keeps on bowling and does not stop,” she says.

Mlaba’s states the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup is the main focus of the Proteas Women. The ongoing T20 International series against Pakistan gives the team a chance to build towards the global showpiece that will take place in England in June.

See the video interview here:

“In the Proteas team I want to leave a legacy as a spin bowler, that my name is part of the conversation when it comes to spin bowling in the women’s game.”