New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have announced the women’s squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, with the return of fast bowler Rosemary Mair and wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze to the White Ferns lineup. Both sides will play three ODIs and as many T20 games, starting June 27.
Mair, who last represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games in August last year, was not included in the T20 World Cup squad in South Africa. Gaze, on the other hand, joins the team as a backup option for Bernadine Bezuidenhout after missing out on the South Africa campaign.
This tour marks New Zealand’s first bilateral women’s series in Sri Lanka, comprising three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) as part of the ICC Women’s Championship. Among the selected squad members, only Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates have prior experience playing in Sri Lanka, having participated in the 2012 Women’s T20 World Cup.
“We’re excited to have Rosemary and Izzy back. Both players have worked hard on their respective games since their last international tours and we’re looking forward to seeing how they handle the challenges that this tour will bring. They both bring their own unique strengths to the group and we hope that they’ll contribute to what will hopefully be a successful tour,” said Coach Ben Sawyer as quoted by ICC.
Led by Devine, the team includes familiar faces such as Melie Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, and Maddy Green. The squad also features young spinners Eden Carson and Fran Jonas, who join Kerr in adding variety to the team’s spin bowling options. However, batter Lauren Down will be unavailable for the tour due to family reasons, while Hayley Jensen continues her recovery from knee surgery.
New Zealand squad for Sri Lanka tour: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
