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Suzie Bates, one of New Zealand‘s most celebrated women cricketers, is closing in on two decades at the highest level. With 171 ODIs and 177 T20Is to her name, she has built a legacy as one of the finest all-rounders in the women’s game. A former full-time captain between 2012 and 2018, Bates has featured in nine T20 World Cups and is preparing for her fifth ODI World Cup later this month.
Yet, despite her illustrious career, the 36-year-old is still missing one milestone: a Test match appearance. New Zealand women last played a Test in 2004 against England in Scarborough, 19 months before Bates made her international debut. Since then, she has gone on to become the highest run-scorer in women’s T20Is and sits third in ODIs behind Mithali Raj and Charlotte Edwards. But the coveted Test cap remains absent from her remarkable career.
Suzie Bates expresses her desire to play the longest format
For Bates, the absence of Test cricket in her career has always been a source of longing. Reflecting on the matter, she admitted feeling “envious” while watching other nations contest women’s Tests, particularly the Ashes.
“The feeling of not having played a Test is just like I’m envious. When I watch the women’s Ashes or even men’s Test cricket and hear people call it the toughest format, it makes me want to experience it. It tests your skills, your mentality, and your physical strength. As a sportsperson, you want to be tested,” Bates told ESPNcricinfo.
Although she understands the logistical and political challenges around scheduling women’s Tests, Bates confessed she would be ‘over the moon’ if the opportunity came her way before retirement.
“But I understand the decisions and the politics of it at times but just as a player I’m like, ‘I’d love to have a taste of how I would handle that mentally and physically’. If it happens and I’m still playing I will be over the moon,” added Bates.
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Drawing inspiration from Virat Kohli’s Test cricket vision
Bates also drew inspiration from superstar Virat Kohli‘s long-standing views on Test cricket, using his words to underline the significance of the format. Kohli has often described Tests as the purest and toughest form of the game, where a cricketer’s skills, temperament, and resilience are tested to the fullest. Echoing this, Bates explained that if young New Zealand players had the opportunity to play a four or five-day Test in conditions like India—where the ball spins sharply and patience is key—the lessons gained would far outweigh those from a 20-over contest. By invoking Kohli’s example, she stressed that Test cricket still has a vital role in shaping complete cricketers, even in an era dominated by limited-overs formats.
“I do just think for the future of the game – I think Virat Kohli’s talked about it saying that is still where you learn the most about the game and where you are tested and if young players, if a young New Zealand player gets to go over and play a four or five-day Test match in India in those conditions with the ball turning, the amount of learning that you do and that compared to a 20-over game is you just can’t compare. So yeah, I think there’s space for it, but those decisions aren’t up to me,” explained Bates.
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