It’s fantastic that women’s cricket will return to the Commonwealth Games, exclaims Jacques Kallis

In an executive board meeting of the Commonwealth Games Federation last month, the members had nominated women’s T20I cricket as one of the events that would be a part of the 22nd Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in Birmingham in 2022.

"Even back in 1998, there was talk about the event being a 20-over competition, so it's finally come true it seems. That format of T20 lends itself perfectly to an event like the Commonwealth Games, which is over in a couple of weeks. And cricket is so loved in the Commonwealth countries too. It's a great idea to get it back in the event and give the sport and the women's players that exposure. I just hope cricket will now establish itself at the event," Kallis added.

"I was only a youngster and I just remember being really excited to get the call-up. Our team was captained by Shaun Pollock and included the likes of Makhaya Ntini, Mark Boucher and Hershelle Gibbs. When you look back at the team now, it was the core of players that took South Africa forward in the next few years," Kallis recalled.

In a tense match defending a low score of 184, Australia had contained South Africa well but Kallis’ incredibly watchful innings of 44 runs off 96 balls led his country to their first ICC championship in an ICC global event.