Four new players have been named in the White Ferns for the ODI and T20I squads to take on Sri Lanka next month.
Eighteen-year-old Central Hinds allrounder Emma McLeod, Canterbury Magicians batter Izzy Sharp (20), and Auckland Hearts seamer Bree Illing (21) have earned their maiden call up.
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The trio of talented youngsters are all former New Zealand Under-19 representatives, with McLeod having recently returned from her second ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, and Sharp the former captain at the inaugural tournament.
McLeod has been selected fresh off a strong One Day campaign for the Central Hinds averaging 42 in the Hallyburton Johnstone (HBJ) Shield, and is the among the top run-scorers in the competition.
Left-arm seamer Bree Illing comes off a breakout domestic season following her inclusion in the New Zealand A side last year.
Illing, the third-top wicket-taker in the HBJ Shield, was a picture of economy in the Dream11 Super Smash finishing the competition with an economy rate of less than six, despite often bowling through the powerplay.
Otago Sparks wicketkeeper-batter Polly Inglis receives her second call up to an international squad following her inclusion in last year’s ODI squad to India.
Georgia Plimmer is set to make her return to international cricket after sustaining a bone stress reaction in her hip which has kept her sidelined since November.
Otago Sparks batter Bella James, New Zealand’s fourth-highest run scorer during December’s Rose Bowl series, retains her ODI place and is named in her first T20I squad.
Following last week’s news that Molly Penfold will miss the remainder of the home summer after tearing her meniscus, Lea Tahuhu (hamstring) and Rosemary Mair (elbow) are also battling injuries.
Tahuhu and Mair picked up their injuries during the Super Smash competition and are both due to return before the end of the home summer, with Mair expected to be fit for the Sri Lanka T20I series starting March 14, and Tahuhu tracking towards the Australia T20I series starting March 21.
Hayley Jensen has been named in her first White Ferns squad since 2023. The Otago Sparks captain returning after a successful domestic season as one of the Sparks top wicket-takers while leading her region to two domestic Grand Finals.
Melie Kerr is unavailable for the series due to her Women’s Premier League commitments with the Mumbai Indians, as the revised tournament dates coincided with the series.
Suzie Bates, who led the team from 2011-2018, will be the interim captain for the series in lieu of Sophie Devine, who is taking a well-being break.
Devine stepped down from T20I captaincy following the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with her successor to be named in due course.
White Ferns squad
Suzie Bates (C) Otago Sparks
Eden Carson Otago Sparks
Izzy Gaze Otago Sparks
Maddy Green Auckland Hearts
Brooke Halliday Auckland Hearts
Bree Illing* Auckland Hearts – ODI only
Polly Inglis* Otago Sparks - ODI only
Bella James** Otago Sparks
Hayley Jensen Otago Sparks
Fran Jonas Auckland Hearts – T20I only
Jess Kerr Wellington Blaze
Rosemary Mair Central Hinds – T20I only
Emma McLeod* Central Hinds
Georgia Plimmer Wellington Blaze
Hannah Rowe Central Hinds – ODI only
Izzy Sharp* Canterbury Magicians – T20I only
* Potential international debut
** Potential T20I debut
The ODI squad will assemble in Napier on Sunday March 2 following the HBJ Shield Grand Final on Saturday.
New Zealand v Sri Lanka
1st ODI – Tuesday 4 March – 2pm McLean Park, Napier – TVNZ+, DUKE, Sport Nation
2nd ODI – Friday 7 March – 11am Saxon Oval, Nelson - TVNZ+, DUKE, Sport Nation
3rd ODI – Sunday 9 March – 11am Saxton Oval, Nelson - TVNZ+, DUKE, Sport Nation
T20I Series
1st T20I – Friday 14 March – 7.15pm Hagley Oval, Christchurch – TVNZ+, TV1, Sport Nation
2nd T20I – Sunday 16 March – 10.15am Hagley Oval, Christchurch - TVNZ+, TV1, Sport Nation (Doubleheader with Black Caps)
3rd T20I – Tuesday 18 March – 10.15am University of Otago Oval, Dunedin - TVNZ+, TV1, Sport Nation (Doubleheader with Black Caps)