Tazmin Brits draws strength from mother's cancer battle ahead of Women's T20 World Cup

South Africa's opening batter, Tazmin Brits, is heading into the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 with a special vow. While she was looking forward to having her mother, Zeldine, cheering her on from the stands, her mother won’t be able to attend after being diagnosed with breast cancer just two weeks ago.

"My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer just two weeks ago," Brits revealed. "Struggle never ends. But now I know how to handle it. And now I know that you've got to keep moving. If you stand still, the world will swallow you in."

Brits is no stranger to tough times. Over a decade ago, she survived a serious car accident, which derailed her dreams of competing as a javelin thrower at the 2012 Olympics. However, switching her focus to cricket helped her recover both physically and mentally. The sport gave her a new passion and a fresh mindset.

Now, Brits has made a big promise: if South Africa wins the T20 World Cup, she will tattoo the World Cup trophy on her body. If the team reaches the semi-finals, she has promised to get half the trophy inked.

"We’d better win because I can’t walk around with half a tattoo," Brits joked. "For our country, winning the World Cup will be a massive thing. I actually get goosebumps thinking about it. It can definitely change our nation."

Brits was a key player in the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup, where she was one of the top run-scorers alongside her opening partner, Laura Wolvaardt. South Africa came close to winning the title at home, but narrowly missed out.

Heading into the 2024 tournament, Brits is in excellent form. Since the last World Cup, she has scored five of her 12 career half-centuries.

When asked about her approach, Brits keeps it simple. "I pretty much just go there and see ball, hit ball," she said. "I feel like I’m almost Quinton de Kock. If you see a bat, you pick it up, if it feels good, you go with it. I don’t do stats and specs... I’m more like a street-smart person."

Brits also recognizes that strike rate is becoming increasingly important in modern T20 cricket. "People don’t always care about the 50s, they want 40 off 20 balls. They want that strike rate to be over 140 and I’m trying to get it to that."

South Africa will kick off their Women's T20 World Cup campaign against the West Indies on October 4. All eyes will be on Brits as she carries the hopes of her nation—and her mom—into the tournament.