Everyone deserves a second chance - even Dane van Niekerk

MAE West was an incredible woman. Years ahead of her time. The American actress and singer was an outspoken feminist and social progressive who directly challenged censorship and societal norms.

And often it was her incredible wit that allowed her to navigate the choppy waters. The blonde bombshell offered many famous quips, such as "When I'm good, I'm very good, but when I'm bad, I'm better" and "Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

But for me, the home run was "All discarded lovers should be given a second chance, but with somebody else!"

It got me thinking about Dane van Niekerk’s international U-turn this week. Should the former Proteas Women’s captain be given a second chance?  

It certainly is a bold decision from CSA to extend the olive branch after Van Niekerk sensationally quit the Proteas like a jilted lover after being left out of the T20 World Cup squad two years ago on fitness grounds. 

Van Niekerk was an angry and bitter woman back then. She claimed that "I didn't eat. I went through a six-week program of killing myself" in order to meet the fitness requirements, and that ultimately the decision to omit her after she missed the 2km time-trial cut off by 18 seconds "had to be an internal thing ... it's personal."

She also intimated that "A comment was made to me about me losing the respect of the group".

It is utterly comprehensible how much the latter statement would have hurt Van Niekerk were it factual. 

The leg-spinning allrounder had been the leader and heartbeat of the national women’s team for the best part of a decade. The Proteas was her entire life.

But equally, if she had indeed lost respect of the group, how does she reintegrate into a squad that still boasts the same senior core consisting of captain Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Chloe Tyron, Ayabonga Khaka and, of course, Van Niekerk’s wife Marizanne Kapp?

Equally, long-serving coach Hilton Moreeng may no longer be at the helm, but the team still has the same convenor of selectors in Clinton du Preez - the man responsible for conveying the message to Van Niekerk that she was being stripped of her captaincy and would miss the T20 World Cup on home soil.

According to Van Niekerk, this is all in the past though after she "sincerely apologised" to CSA and had "months of connecting with the coach (Mandla Mashimbyi) and CSA again, where we could speak and let everything go" because "it was important for us to have those conversations, honest ones, and be on the same page."

And if there is still anyone that doubts her intentions, Van Niekerk claims "everyone wants the same thing and that is to win a World Cup."

It also seems a seminal moment in Van Niekerk’s personal life has provided her with the motivation to close out a chapter that had started all the way back at the 2009 World Cup in Australia.

"I went through something traumatic in my family. My dad passed away, and (it’s) almost (as if) something like that gave me the new ‘why?’.

"It’s a strong ‘why’ for me. It wasn’t easy, there were a lot of conversations. Now is the right time. My ‘why’ is the most important thing."

There’s a feeling within me that West and Van Niekerk would have been bosom buddies had they known each other in a different lifetime with their feisty personalities and flair for taking on the authorities the bonding glue.

West also famously stated: "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it" and "Your real security is yourself. You know you can do it, and they can't ever take that away from you."

Perhaps these are the words Van Niekerk should carry close to her as she takes her first steps back into international cricket.