Anjum Chopra to assist SA women's cricket

Former India women's cricket captain Anjum Chopra has been recruited in the management staff of South Africa's women's squad as technical advisor ahead of the upcoming ICC women's World Cup in India, Cricket South Africa announced.

Chopra will help the team in mental training and computer-aided analysis.

Her first assignment is the upcoming five-match ODI series in the West Indies.

"The availability of Anjum Chopra to work within the space of South African women's cricket should close the gap in the international experience between South Africa and the rest of the top women cricketing nations," Max Jordaan, CSA's manager of women's and senior cricket, said.

"The recent performances of the Proteas at the ICC women T20 highlighted this shortcoming. We believe that the wealth of on-field cricket experience, leadership and business acumen elevates Anjum as the ideal person to lead our team into the semi-finals at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in India," he added.

Chopra has scored 2856 runs, at an average of 31.38, in 127 ODIs while representing India for 17 long years.

She is the first woman's cricketer to appear in 100 ODIs.

Photograph: Bikash Mohapatra