Sophie Devine to quit New Zealand’s T20I captaincy post Women’s World Cup

ByDebayan Sinha, SportsCafe Editor

Today at 1:14 PM

New Zealand's captain Sophie Devine has announced that she will step down from her leadership position after the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup in the UAE. The 34-year-old has been at the helm since 2020, taking over from Amy Satterthwaite and leading the New Zealand Women’s side in 56 T20I games.

‌New Zealand Cricket Board (NZC) on Friday took to their official website and announced Devine quitting the captaincy. The right-handed batter, who made her debut for New Zealand in 2006 and has appeared in 135 T20Is, cited her wish for a more balanced workload as the reason for her decision to relinquish the T20 captaincy.

In a statement to NZC, Devine said, “ I’m very proud to have had the privilege to captain the White Ferns in both formats. With captaincy comes an additional workload that, while I’ve enjoyed taking on, can also be challenging at times.” Highlighting her focus on managing her energy, she remarked, “ Stepping away from the T20 captaincy will take a bit off my plate so I can focus more of my energy on my playing role and nurturing the future leaders.

The Porirua-bred is currently recovering from a foot injury, and will continue to lead New Zealand in One Day Internationals. Head Coach Ben Sawyer supported Devine’s decision and commented that, “Soph is the epitome of a fearless leader and we’re grateful for the leadership she brings to this group on and off the field.”

NZC CEO Scott Weenink said in a statement, “We’re grateful to have a player of Sophie’s calibre in the White Ferns and I’m delighted that she is still committed to captaining the ODI team.”

New Zealand’s 15-player squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be announced on September 10. The team will depart on September 16 to play three T20Is against Australia in Mackay and Brisbane as part of their World Cup preparations.

The statement concluded by saying, "A decision on who will succeed Devine as T20 captain will be made in due course."