South Africa's Sunette Viljoen-Louw , an Olympic javelin silver medallist at Rio 2016, is hoping to represent her country's cricket team in the Women's T20 World Cup next month's ©Getty Images

Olympic javelin silver medallist Sunette Viljoen-Louw hopes to represent South Africa at their home Women's T20 World Cup next month following her return to cricket.

The 39-year-old Viljoen-Louw originally represented South Africa in cricket from 2000 to 2002, including featuring at the 2000 Women's Cricket World Cup in the 50-over format in New Zealand in 2000.

She went on to enjoy a successful career in athletics, earning back-to-back women's javelin titles at the Commonwealth Games at Melbourne 2006 and New Delhi 2010.

At the World Athletics Championships, Viljoen-Louw won a silver medal in Daegu in 2011 and bronze in Beijing in 2015.

After missing out on an Olympic medal with a fourth-place finish at London 2012, she took silver at Rio 2016.

Viljoen-Louw was also a five-time African champion, won two other Commonwealth Games medals - silver at Glasgow 2014 and bronze at Gold Coast 2018 - and set a continental record of 69.35 metres in 2012 that still stands.

Sunette Viljoen-Louw said she
Sunette Viljoen-Louw said she "quickly shifted my dream" after missing out on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with South Africa ©Getty Images

Having missed out on Tokyo 2020, Viljoen-Louw returned to cricket when she joined South African team Titans Ladies in December 2021.

South Africa is due to host the Women's T20 World Cup from February 10 to 26 this year, and Viljoen-Louw has targeted a return to the national team, 20 years on from her last appearance.

"Since I missed out on Tokyo, I quickly shifted my dream," Viljoen-Louw told Olympics.com.

"My goal was to be selected for the T20 World Cup.

"It was my goal to be selected for the South African team.

"But as they say, control the controllable.

"I only have control over the number of runs I score and what I do on the field.

"I am proud of everything I have achieved in a very short time."

South Africa reached the semi-finals of the last Women's T20 World Cup in 2020, and are set to host the next edition in February of this year ©Getty Images
South Africa reached the semi-finals of the last Women's T20 World Cup in 2020, and are set to host the next edition in February of this year ©Getty Images

South Africa's head coach Hilton Moreeng has admitted "we've had a look into" Viljoen-Louw's performance at club level.

Viljoen-Louw is hopeful that her form will merit selection.

"I don’t know if it will be enough," she told Olympics.com.

"It is now out of my hands, I can only keep dreaming and praying for it, but there is definitely a chance.

"I will never write myself off.

"I will always believe that I have the potential to participate at the highest level, whether it is throwing a javelin or holding a cricket bat."

Viljoen-Louw also did not rule out aiming for the one-day international Women’s Cricket World Cup in India in 2025.

South Africa reached the semi-finals of the last Women's T20 World Cup in 2020, matching their best performance from 2014.