Sophie Devine, one of New Zealand's most celebrated cricketers, has announced that she will step down as captain of the national T20 team after the Women's T20 World Cup in October. This decision comes as Devine aims to concentrate more on her playing role and focus on nurturing the next generation of leaders within the team. Despite stepping away from the T20 captaincy, Devine will continue to lead New Zealand's ODI squad.
Devine, who debuted for New Zealand in 2006, has been a pivotal figure in the team's success, accumulating 3,268 runs in 135 T20 Internationals. She took on the role of T20 captain in 2020, succeeding Amy Satterthwaite, and has since led the team in 56 matches. Under her leadership, the team achieved 25 victories and faced 28 losses in T20Is.
In her statement, Devine expressed her pride in her tenure as captain and acknowledged the significant workload and challenges associated with the role. "Stepping away from the T20 captaincy will lighten my load and allow me to focus more on my playing role and support future leaders," she said.
Currently recovering from a foot injury ahead of the T20 World Cup, Devine remains committed to playing in both white-ball formats. She emphasized that while she is not ready to relinquish her ODI captaincy just yet, stepping away from one format at a time will allow emerging leaders to gain experience and prepare for future responsibilities.
New Zealand Cricket has yet to announce Devine’s successor. Team head coach Ben Sawyer praised Devine, describing her as the "epitome of a fearless leader."
The squad for the Women's T20 World Cup will be announced on September 10, with the team set to depart on September 16 for three T20Is against Australia in Mackay and Brisbane as part of their preparation for the tournament.
