Sophie Devine will lead New Zealand permanently from now on while the former captain Amy Satterthwaite will take the vice-captaincy after her return from maternity leave. Devine took the responsibility when Satterthwaite was on leave last year to have her first child with wife and her team-mate Lea Tahuhu. Devine led the team at the T20 World Cup in Australia earlier this year where they failed to reach the knockout stage.
However, she is now all set to lead the team at the 50-over World Cup next February and March at home if that tournament retains its spot amid the situation of COVID-19.
“It’s a huge honour and privilege to be awarded the White Ferns captaincy,” Sophie Devine said. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time as captain over the past season. It was challenging results-wise at times, but I feel we are moving in the right direction as a team, both with our cricket and our team culture.”
“I’m very much looking forward to working with Amy who has an exceptional cricketing brain and I feel we can form a strong leadership partnership in combination with a well-established leadership group,” she added.
Devine has been going through a purple patch over the last 18 months and became the first player to score five consecutive fifty-plus scores in T20Is. She has scored a century against South Africa which also continued when she opened her T20 World Cup campaign with an unbeaten 75 against Sri Lanka.
“Sophie is a strong leader, she has her own style and knows what she wants from herself and the team,” head coach Bob Carter said. “It’s a testament to her ability as a leader that her performance with the bat last summer went to a new level. She leads with her actions and the team responds well to her leadership style.
“Amy is on the comeback to cricket after giving birth and she is progressing really well. Having her experience, knowledge and leadership working alongside Sophie is only going to benefit the team,” Carter further shared.
Amy Satterthwaite said: “I’m looking forward to returning to international cricket and doing my best to support Sophie and the team.”
New Zealand are yet to return to action with a tour to Australia scheduled in late September. They will play three ODIs and three T20Is. They will begin pre-season preparations with a training camp in Lincoln next week as well.
