New Zealand have announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in South Africa.
White Ferns’ skipper Sophie Devine, who recently missed three games in Super Smash as a precautionary measure, is declared fit to lead the side in the global showpiece event. Similarly, Fran Jonas, who withdrew from the ongoing U19 World Cup, is expected to be available for the senior women’s World Cup.
Wicketkeeper-batter Bernadine Bezuidenhout has made a comeback to the national side on the back of a brilliant run in the domestic season, which witnessed her second List-A hundred.
Notably, Bezuidenhout last represented New Zealand in a One-Day International (ODI) game against South Africa in January 2020 and has since been sidelined while recovering from RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport).
“For the past seven or eight months, we’ve been looking to establish a brand of cricket which we believe spectators will enjoy and, at the same time, gives us the best possible chance of success in major tournaments. With both the bat in hand and her work behind the stumps, we believe that Bernie will contribute positively to that style of play,” said head coach Ben Sawyer.
“Bernie has already shown this season what she can do with both bat and gloves, and we think her previous international experience will stand her in good stead in this World Cup. She has gone on quite a journey to return to cricket this season, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming her back into the WHITE FERNS environment,” he added.
New Zealand will leave for South Africa on January 23 and play three practice games against England in Johannesburg, followed by ICC warm-up matches versus the West Indies and England in Cape Town. They will begin their World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Australia on February 11 at Boland Park in Paarl.
New Zealand’s Squad for Women’s T20 World Cup:
Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Bernadine Bezuidenhout (wk), Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
