Former New Zealand captain and veteran all-rounder Suzie Bates on Friday, April 24 confirmed her retirement from international cricket. The 38-year-old, who has been a regular in the White Ferns colours, has decided to put curtains on her illustrious two-decade-long career following the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to be played from June 12 till July 5 in England and Wales.
However, Bates recent career has been marred with injuries, but she is expected to feature in the White Ferns’ 15-member squad for the marquee tournament following her recovery from a quadriceps injury.
Addressing the fans through the White Ferns’ handle, Bates said, “I’m immensely proud to have worn the fern so many times, and I’ve been filled with enormous purpose and joy in striving each day to be a better person, team-mate, cricketer, and athlete for this team.”
With her eyes set on the prize at the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, Bates revealed her final mission, stating, “I have one final mission: to head to the UK – a place that holds so many special memories for me – and win another World Cup. I’m going to give every ounce of my energy to this final quest, dedicating every minute to helping this team play the kind of cricket we, and our country, can be proud of.”
Bates to put down curtains on her elaborated 20-year-long career
The veteran all-rounder kickstarted her cricketing career at a young age and made her domestic debut aged 15 in 2003. The 38-year-old who then went on to make her international debut at the age of 18 years in 2006, has been the leading run-scorer in women’s T20Is (4717 runs) and fourth highest in women’s ODIs (5964 runs). Bates also served in as the caption of the New Zealand women’s side from July 2011 for nearly 7 years and has also been named the leading women’s cricketer by Wisden.
