I have made the decision to work with NZC and Cricket Wellington after a heavy workload over the past year
ESPNcricinfo staff
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine is taking a “health break” after a heavy workload over the past year and will miss the first half of the Super Smash season for Wellington. A decision on her participation for the remainder of the tournament will be made at a later date.
“The mental and physical health of our players is always our number one priority and it’s clear Sophie simply needs a break,” NZC Head of Women’s High Performance Liz Green said. “2024 marks another big year for WHITE FERNS with England arriving later in the summer and the ICC T20 World Cup on the horizon.
“Sophie is understandably disappointed but we are adamant that she needs this break to recharge her batteries and be well prepared for the challenges ahead.”
Devine recently played ODIs and T20Is at home against Pakistan which started four days after playing her last match for the Perth Scorchers in the WBBL. This year, Devine has played in 12 T20Is and nine ODIs, apart from appearing in last season’s Super Smash at the start of the year, the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) in March in India, the Hundred in August, and the WCPL also in August, before heading to Australia. To attend the WBBL tournament. Her 49 T20s this year are the most with Hayley Matthews, and she is listed just behind Matthews among the top T20 run-scorers in 2023 so far.
The Women’s Super Smash tournament kicked off on December 19 and Wellington’s first match will be on Thursday against Otago at home. The six teams will play 10 matches each in the league stage before elimination on January 26 and the final on January 28.
New Zealand’s next assignment will be a home T20I series against England starting March 19, but Devine is also expected to travel to India for a second WPL season before that.