Tazmin Brits makes T20 World Cup promise despite life hurdle

South Africa's Tazmin Brits will head into the Women's T20 World Cup knowing that her mother, who was set to cheer for her from the crowd, won't be present after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

"My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer just two weeks ago," Brits told ESPNcricinfo.

"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. You've got to keep moving."

Brits, who was once a javelin thrower, had survived a major car accident over a decade ago, but she says that switching her sporting career to cricket helped her change her mindset and come out of the incident.

Watch the best of Tazmin Brits at the Women's T20 World Cup 2023

Such is her passion for the sport now that she has vowed to ink the World Cup trophy if South Africa were to win the title. If they do get to the semis, Brits has promised to tattoo half the trophy.

"We'd better win because I can't walk around with a half a tattoo," she said. "For our country, winning the World Cup will be a massive thing," she said. "I actually get a bit of goosebumps if I think about it. It can definitely change our nation."

The Proteas women came within one step of winning the title back home in 2023, where she was among the leading run-scorers alongside her opening partner Laura Wolvaardt.

Brits has had a good run heading into the tournament, with five of her 12 career half-centuries coming post the last event in 2023.

"I can't even answer that for you. 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 and I'm not one of those bookworms. I'm more like a street smart person."

"I have realised that 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 begin their Women's T20 World Cup campaign against West Indies on October 4.