No surprise calls amidst poor showings, as New Zealand Cricket (NZC) put forward their squad of 15 for the forthcoming 2024 Women’s Twenty20 (T20) World Cup, scheduled from the 3rd to the 20th of October 2024, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The veteran all-rounder duo of Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates are set for their ninth consecutive appearance at the Women’s T20 World Cup, having competed in every edition since the event’s inception in 2009. With this World Cup marking Sophie’s final stint as T20 captain, she’ll aim to make history, having experienced the highs of runners-up finishes in the first two editions, two semi-final appearances (2012 and 2016), and the lows of early group stage exits in the last three tournaments.
In their quest for the championship, the form of Suzie Bates, the leading run-scorer in the format, will be crucial to the team’s success, alongside other seasoned players such as Lea Tahuhu, Hannah Rowe, Amelia Kerr, Leigh Kasperek, Jess Kerr, and Maddy Green.
The squad features several promising young talents, including top-order batter Georgia Plimmer (20), left-arm off-spinner Fran Jonas (20), off-spinner Eden Carson (23), and pacer Molly Penfold (23), all with previous T20 World Cup appearances. Additionally, 20-year-old keeper-batter Izzy Gaze is set for her World Cup debut.
New Zealand’s squad for the T20 World Cup features only one change from their recent away series against England, with 29-year-old middle-order batter Mikaela Greig making way for 25-year-old bowling all-rounder Rosemary Mair, who had missed the England tour due to a back injury.
With just 18 wickets from 22 bowling innings and limited contributions with the bat, Rosemary Mair hasn’t yet made a significant impact in T20Is. However, she showed promise upon her return to the national setup earlier this year during the home series against England, on the back of a successful all-round domestic season. Undoubtedly, her return bolsters the squad with her ability to contribute with both bat and ball.
New Zealand’s squad for the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup:
Sophie Devine (C), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
📢 New Zealand have announced their squad.
Final Captaincy assignment for Sophie Devine 💪 #CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/9lyvh8TgzE
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) September 10, 2024
The squad, though strong on paper, faces an uphill task on the field, having managed only one win in their last 10 T20Is, all against England – five at home and five away, with a largely unchanged lineup. Since their early exit last year, New Zealand has secured a 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka and drew a 5-match T20I series against South Africa (1-1), with other matches yielding no results. However, they have lost their last three series; a historic 1-2 defeat to Pakistan, a 4-1 loss to England, both at home, and most recently a 0-5 whitewash also against England.
After a brief period away from the game and refining their skills in training camps, the squad will tour Australia for a 3-match T20I series later this month. They will also play a couple of warm-up games against England and South Africa in the UAE ahead of their World Cup campaign opener against India on October 4. Clubbed in Group A, they will next face Australia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in their league matches.