Suzie Bates to Retire from International Cricket After T20 World Cup
Suzie Bates Announces Retirement from International Cricket
New Delhi [India] - New Zealand's prominent all-rounder, Suzie Bates, has declared her intention to retire from international cricket following the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
After an illustrious career that includes 362 matches for New Zealand, Bates will hang up her boots post the T20 World Cup in England.
Reflecting on her remarkable journey, Bates expressed to New Zealand Cricket, “Looking back over the last twenty-plus years, it’s astonishing how swiftly time has passed. I feel immense pride in having represented my country so many times, and I’ve found great purpose and joy in striving to improve as a person, teammate, and athlete. I am deeply grateful to all my teammates and coaches throughout my career. My final goal is to travel to the UK, a place filled with cherished memories, and secure another World Cup victory.”
Throughout her career, Bates has amassed an impressive 14 centuries and taken 145 wickets. She will leave the sport as New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer across all formats, with only Meg Lanning from Australia (15) and India's Smriti Mandhana (14) surpassing her 13 ODI centuries.
Her highest ODI score of 168 was achieved against Pakistan during the 2009 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, and she also scored a century against the same team in the 2022 tournament held in New Zealand.
While she is primarily recognized for her batting prowess, especially at the top of the order, Bates has also demonstrated her bowling skills, notably achieving four-wicket hauls in both ODI and T20I formats in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
Bates captained the New Zealand team from 2011 to 2018 and reached the pinnacle of her career in 2013 when she was named the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year, leading the run charts during the World Cup in India.
In 2016, she was honored as both the ICC Women’s ODI and T20I Cricketer of the Year, following a dominant phase in bilateral series across both formats.
Recently, Bates has stepped in as captain during the absence of her long-time friend and regular skipper, Sophie Devine. Her crowning achievement came during the 2024 T20 World Cup when New Zealand clinched the title for the first time, with Bates finishing as the joint leading run-scorer for her team.
As the T20 World Cup approaches in June, Bates aims to lead her team to consecutive titles, with the White Ferns placed in Group B alongside England, Ireland, Scotland, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies.