Suzie Bates, who has led the White Ferns previously in 76 ODIs and 66 T20Is, will be back at the job for six white-ball matches against Sri Lanka, starting March 4 in Napier. New Zealand women will be without regular skipper Sophie Devine and all-rounder Amelia Kerr for the assignment.
New Zealand women appointed Suzie Bates as the captain for the six-match white-ball series against Sri Lanka next month. With Sophie Devine (break) and Amelia Kerr (WPL) unavailable and the likes of Lea Tahuhu and Molly Penfold injured, it is a good opportunity for the White Ferns to test their bench strength and have called up the uncapped trio of Bree Illing, Izzy Sharp and Emma McLeod for the white-ball series while opener Georgia Plimmer returns to the fold after recovering from the bone stress fracture.
NZC confirmed that Kerr will not take any part in six matches due to the WPL, which runs till March 15. “Melie Kerr is unavailable for the series due to her Women’s Premier League commitments with the Mumbai Indians, as the revised tournament dates coincided with the series,” NZC said in the release.
New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer mentioned that playing Sri Lanka and their spinners will be a good test for the home team in the ODI World Cup in India in the sub-continent conditions, which will primarily aid the slower bowlers. “Sri Lanka’s a tough opposition with a number of world-class spinners. Facing their spin unit is always a challenge but it will be great prep for us ahead of the World Cup,” Sawyer said.
With several players missing due to injuries and unavailability, Sawyer mentioned that it will be a good opportunity for the White Ferns to test their bench strength and was hoping to give the new players an opportunity to try themselves out at the highest level. “We will try different combinations this series, and I’m looking forward to seeing players adapt to different roles. It’s an opportunity to test batters in different positions, and try different bowlers opening up and at the death.”
The series begins with an ODI in Napier, followed by a couple of them in Nelson on March 4, 7 and 9. The T20Is begin on March 14 with the first two in Christchurch and the finale in Dunedin on March 18.
New Zealand Squads
ODIs: Suzie Bates (c), Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Hayley Jensen, Jess Kerr, Emma McLeod, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe
T20Is: Suzie Bates (c), Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bella James, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Emma McLeod, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Izzy Sharp
