New Zealand‘s last semi-final appearance, which came in 2016, seems like a distant memory, and the fact that they’ve exited in the group stage in the previous three editions of the T20 World Cup will spur Sophie Devine & Co. to go one better this around. The White Ferns New Zealand have a fine mix of T20 World Cup experience and upcoming talent and can overcome any competition on their day.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has announced their squad for the upcoming 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, starting Thursday, October 3, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The batting all-rounder Sophie Devine will lead the team with other experienced players like Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu.
Skipper Devine and batter Bates will be the only two players in the team who have been part of the New Zealand squad in all nine editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup. The two veterans will try to take their team to ultimate glory in 2024 after finishing as runners-up in the 2009 and 2010 editions.
New Zealand : Experience over youth is the key for BlackCaps
New Zealand’s last semi-final appearance, which came in 2016, seems like a distant memory, and the fact that they’ve exited in the group stage in the previous three editions of the T20 World Cup will spur Sophie Devine & Co. to go one better this around.
With the odds stacked against them, it’s understandable that the White Ferns have opted for experience over experimentation. Outgoing skipper Devine and Suzie Bates, the steel pillars of New Zealand cricket, will prop up the team on their shoulders for the ninth edition. From the Kerr sisters and Lea Tahuhu to a returning Rosemary Mair, it’s familiar faces all around. Keeper-batter Izzy Gaze is the only name to not have featured in a World Cup for the Kiwis before.
Their Trans-Tasman neighbors have taken a similar approach. Tough calls have been made, with senior pro Jess Jonassen missing out on a World Cup for the first time while being fit and available. New Zealand’s last semi-final appearance, which came in 2016, seems like a distant memory, and the fact that they’ve exited in the group stage in the previous three editions of the T20 World Cup will spur Sophie Devine & Co. to go one better this around.
The White Ferns have a fine mix of T20 World Cup experience and upcoming talent and can overcome any competition on their day. In a very competitive Group A, the Kiwis will not be short of challenges to win – they go up against India in their opener. Later on 8 October, they go up against Trans-Tasman rivals Australia, whom they haven’t beaten since 2016 in the competition, a result that skipper Sophie Devine would not like to repeat in 2024.
New Zealand Player to Watch for : Eden Carson
Eden Carson already has a remarkable T20 World Cup moment to remember – the stunning catch of Beth Mooney against Australia in the 2023 edition. The off-spinner, who has 13 wickets in the format at an economy of under seven since the last T20 World Cup, has a chance to add many such moments to her career in the UAE.
Carson has been productive throughout the season and will look to bring in her accurate off-spin to make a difference in Sharjah and Dubai. Though she has never gone up against India – New Zealand’s first opponents – in international cricket, Carson has good returns against sub-continental sides like Pakistan (three T20I wickets at 23) and Sri Lanka (six T20I wickets at 18.33), and would back her off-spinners against the highly-touted Women in Blue come the match day.
New Zealand Women’s Squad : Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
New Zealand Women’s Fixture : v India, Dubai, 4 October, v Australia, Sharjah, 8 October, v Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 12 October ,v Pakistan, Dubai, 14 October
New Zealand Women Expectations : The New Zealand Women can spring a surprise but their path to semi finals look tricky with India and Australia in the fray.