The New Zealand women’s team, led by skipper Sophie Devine, is gearing up for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, expressing confidence in adapting to the spin-friendly conditions in the UAE.
The UAE, which will host the ninth edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup, has historically favored spinners due to its dry pitches. The White Ferns, more accustomed to seam-friendly conditions in New Zealand, have worked hard to adjust. With the recently announced 15-player squad, the bowling department is dominated by eight bowlers, including three spinners and five pacers, alongside four all-rounders- three medium-pace options & one-spin option. Notably, Leigh Kasperek and Rosemary Mair have made their comeback to the team. Devine emphasizes that her team is ready for the challenge, indicating they’ve learned from previous matches and adapted their tactics to improve their chances of success.
She mentioned, “We have been specific and clear about how we want to play and what we think will work in these conditions. We’ve reflected and reviewed how we’ve played and what we’ve worked on previously, and have kept a real eye on what the conditions are like,”
With a strong focus on spin bowling and maintaining effective strike rates, New Zealand is determined to score efficiently while limiting their opponents’ opportunities. Devine also reflected on the team’s emphasis on proactive batting and rotating the strike as critical components of their strategy.
Devine added, “With the bat, we’re wanting to be really busy at the crease. We know that the conditions might be tough, so every run is going to be valuable,”
The White Ferns’ skipper also highlighted the team’s disciplined approach to bowling, with an emphasis on accuracy and forcing batters to play difficult shots while minimizing loose deliveries saying, “On the flip side, with the ball, we want to be as accurate as possible. Staying on the stumps and making opposition players play the most difficult shots has been a key focus for us,”
New Zealand’s recent performances in limited-over series against England and Australia have been below expectations. The White Ferns suffered a whitewash in both the three-match ODI series and the five-match T20 series. They are also trailing 1-0 in the ongoing three-match T20 series. However, Devine stressed that the World Cup is an entirely new contest, where any team can come out on top.
Devine emphasized, “In one-off games and in World Cup cricket, everyone starts from zero, so we are really looking forward to the opportunity to play against world-class teams, all of whom will be vying to be there at the end of the World Cup,”
Looking ahead, Devine acknowledges that her side faces a tough group, which includes defending champions Australia, India, Pakistan, and recent Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka. Despite the challenge, she remains optimistic, believing that the competition will bring out the best in her team.
She added, “When you’ve got India and Australia, as well as Sri Lanka, it’s going to be a pretty tough pool to progress through, but we like our chances,”
The White Ferns will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against India on October 4 in Dubai, with a much-anticipated match against Australia scheduled for October 8 in Sharjah.