Improving Depth and Performance in New Zealand Cricket: Insights from Sophie Devine
Sophie Devine, the captain of the White Ferns, acknowledges the ongoing challenges in building depth within New Zealand cricket, reflecting on the T20 World Cup disappointment from a year ago.
One year after the devastating T20 World Cup, White Ferns captain feels the England series remains a milestone.
It took the tears four seconds to come, but Sophie Devine warned them they were on their way. She was aching for every New Zealand player she was responsible for, whose T20 World Cup campaign was essentially gone before it had started, at Paarl in February 2023. Following consecutive crushing defeats by Australia and South Africa, the captain of the White Ferns longed for a fast solution but realized there wouldn’t be one and that a lengthy journey lay ahead.
After a year, Devine claims that more effort needs to be done in order to catch up to Australia, England, and India in terms of depth. But she views the T20I and ODI series that New Zealand played at home against England as a guide before their return series in the English summer and another T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. The main cause of New Zealand’s worries is that, in a nation where rugby union and netball are the most popular sports, the country has a far smaller population than its main competitors—just over five million people.
“To be brutally honest, no, there’s not much depth coming through, and that’s where we as a nation need to be realistic—millions of people don’t play cricket,” Devine stated. Similar to the men, we’re a small country and have to make the most of what we have, even if every effort has been made to try and draw in talent.
“In terms of the teams and the quantity of games played, we have a terrific domestic setup. I consider myself fortunate to have watched Australian cricket for a number of years, both as a participant and as an observer, and to witness the effort that has gone into their domestic setup. The growth of the game’s professionalism and the domestic setup are what have made them so successful over the previous ten or fifteen years.
“Since we’re still a long way from there, I believe there will always be a little gap. It will take time to close the gap when you compare the White Ferns, contracted players, and domestic players. However, this does not negate the fact that New Zealand Cricket has benefited from a great deal of labor.”
Despite winning their last two group matches at the T20 World Cup, Devine’s squad was unable to advance to the knockout stages, which was not surprising considering their previous performance. Since then, they have suffered a 2-1 home loss to Pakistan in December, drawn 1-1 on a rain-soaked tour of South Africa, and won a T20I series in Sri Lanka. Before defeating Pakistan 2-1 in ODIs, they had lost to South Africa and Sri Lanka. Pakistan prevailed in the third game in a Super Over.
The nucleus of New Zealand is unchanged against England, even if they didn’t start with WPL players Devine and Amelia Kerr. In place of Mikaela Greig, who has not yet received a cap, Georgia Plimmer, who has participated in 21 Twenty20 Internationals and was initially included in the ODI squad, has been called up.
After missing out on the T20 World Cup, seamer Rosemary Mair has returned to the White Ferns side. Other returning players include spinner Leigh Kasperek, teenage wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze, and batter Brooke Halliday.
Also Read: RCB Dominated Delhi Capitals To Clinch Maiden WPL Title
During the senior tour, New Zealand’s A squad will play England’s A team. Additionally, a North vs. South series will present chances for domestic players who are not selected for the White Ferns.
However, Devine is aware that more can be done, particularly by utilizing the opportunities cricket presents outside of netball and rugby. While wage parity in core contracts has not yet been achieved, equal match payments for men and women at the international level serve as an incentive.
“It’s certainly a selling point when I talk to female athletes coming through,” Devine stated. “The fact that there aren’t many cricketers in New Zealand makes it an appealing professional choice. The picture that’s being painted behind the scenes is quite grand, but one has to be realistic and acknowledge that it will take time. I believe we can compete with the best if we can continue to put pressure on teams like Australia or England.”
For the first T20I on Tuesday, both England and New Zealand are without a number of key players. Devine accepted the WPL trophy alongside Royal Challengers Bangalore, who defeated Kerr’s reigning champion team, the Mumbai Indians, in the Eliminator before defeating the Delhi Capitals in Sunday’s final.Â
Sophie Ecclestone and Danni Wyatt of the UP Warriorz, together with Nat Sciver-Brunt from Mumbai and Alice Capsey from Delhi, are scheduled to team up with England later in the Twenty20 International series. The ODI team will welcome Kate Cross (RCB).
Devine, like other players who have encountered schedule difficulties, is realistic about the financial ramifications of the franchise vs. nation conundrum but also believes that such conflicts can be avoided in the future.
“I still think in the female game there’s space for everyone,” she stated. “Obviously, there will need to be some compromise, but I sincerely hope that individuals, boards, and competitions will be somewhat understanding when it comes to making room for both individual events and international cricket. It is imperative that the women’s games maintain this momentum going ahead.
“New Zealand cricket has been amazing, and I believe they’ve excelled in this area for a number of years, enabling many of us Kiwi players to participate in these franchise competitions. When it comes to giving us that time off, they’ve always been incredibly open and truthful. If there are any conflicts, then our loyalty may, I suppose, lie with the franchise.
Also Read: Smriti Mandhana’s Virat Kohli Video Call After WPL 2024 Final Win
“They certainly put in a lot of effort to ensure that there are no conflicts with international cricket, and my top goal is always to attempt to play for my country. However, because I signed a contract, I suppose I have to honor that and hope that there aren’t any conflicts. It’s ultimately what you feel comfortable with.”
Devine, who still has the record for the greatest individual score in the event with 99 from the previous season, didn’t have much of an influence in her second WPL season. However, she did record her highest score of the competition with 32 in the Final as RCB attempted to chase down 114. After starting there and moving down to the middle order, where she has been batting for New Zealand since the T20 World Cup last year, she was back opening with captain Smriti Mandhana in the Final and Eliminator.
“It’s just been adapting to the situation that I find myself in,” she stated. “When you begin the innings, you know precisely where you stand; you’re going to face the new ball, and two fielders are up. When you bat 3, 4, or 5, however, you may be in the middle order, in the powerplay, or late in the game. Being ready and having the ability to quickly change to the situation’s demands are essential. However, I see it as a tremendously thrilling task.
After some time spent playing, you want to continue improving and developing your skills. I try to keep an eye on what the top players are doing by looking around the globe. Look at what Nat Sciver-Brunt accomplishes; she has always been the undisputed leader in her field.
I don’t think I should base my game on how she develops innings through that middle order because I consider myself to be a different player than her, but I do have a lot of admiration for the way she can manage run-chases in especially and build innings.”
Kerr, who is only 23 years old but has a wealth of experience, along with left-arm spinner Fran Jonas and off-spinner Eden Carson, who are 19 and 22 years old respectively and have played 68 internationals between them, might be key players for New Zealand in the future. However, they also need more experienced players like Suzie Bates and Devine to continue playing. Devine, 34, is aware that her time as a cricket player is coming to an end, but she still thinks she has a few more years left in her.
“It’s going to be a pretty full-on 12 months for the White Ferns, but I think it’s a really exciting challenge,” Devine stated. “As a team, we’re going to put to the test like never before. We’ve been bubbling away over the past 12 or 18 months, and while we may not have gotten the performances or outcomes we had hoped for, as an older head and longer-term visionary, I can assure you that such things will take time.”
