This weekend the White Ferns start their preparation for the ICC World Twenty20 which is starts in May in the West Indies. Although many players have been successful on the domestic scene, many haven’t been able to transfer those skills onto the international stage.
Gary Stead, coach of the White Ferns, will be overseeing this weekend’s North v South competition at Lincoln, where the top players from each island come together to show the selectors they are good enough to participate at the World Cup.
He said there is a large gap between the international and domestic levels in this country regarding women’s cricket. “International players at domestic level get away and succeed because they get more easy balls to hit and easier wickets to take – you don’t get that at the next level up," he said. “I think it is also a big mental step and overcoming those barriers are often harder than any physical barriers.”
The North v South weekend will see the incumbent players and those close to selection compete in a “trial” for the Twenty20 World Cup team.
Stead used the recent Rose Bowl series to blood new talent and said it will help develop depth in the squad. “The fact that we used 19 players in the last series will develop depth and also develop an understanding of the levels required at International cricket,” he said. “Hopefully this can be taken back by individuals and their work ethic will lift other provincial players to new heights as well.”
The long term goal is also to attract and retain quality cricketers as well as supporting those already at the top level and on the brink of an international career. “We have winter training squads for the White Ferns and also an Emerging Players group. In this the players get access to coaches and trainers to help them with their physical fitness as well.
“With more tours and more matches internationally, we are playing more cricket so as long as we can learn from all results we will keep improving. We are currently having a review of the women’s game and a big part of that will be the competitions and structures we need going forward to sustain the game at grassroots and produce winning teams internationally,” he added.
The White Ferns World Cup squad will go into camp on April 11 which will include two Twenty20 games against a Canterbury men’s team. “We’ll have time to develop our team plans and culture further. Players will get programmes to work on to polish up their game in the time between naming the team and leaving on 28th April,” Stead said.
