Cricket: Former White Ferns selector Kirsty Bond says Sophie Devine should be axed as captain

White Ferns captain Sophie Devine. Photo / Photosport

A former White Fern and ex-national selector has suggested Sophie Devine lose the captaincy of the side.

Kirsty Bond, who played for New Zealand in the 1980s and 90s, and was a selector last decade, has grave concerns over the state of the team.

"The recent results have been results that have been happening for some time," Bond told the On The Front Foot cricket podcast. "There's probably a myriad of reasons for that. For some years now we've had some disappointing results and Twenty20 and 50-over World Cups where we haven't even made the semifinals.

"That's really disappointing, given that we have a 50-over World Cup here in New Zealand, and you'd have to say on current form, the White Ferns might be struggling to make the semis again."

Of their last 26 games in both formats, New Zealand have won just seven. That includes series sweeps at the hands of England, Australia and South Africa, featuring several trouncings.

The White Ferns woes have coincided with Devine's own failures.

The Wellington all-rounder has struggled since becoming New Zealand skipper, first in an interim capacity in January 2020, and then permanent, seven months later.

Since taking over as caretaker captain, in ODI's Devine's passed 50 just once, with her second-highest score just 27. Her T20 numbers make for better reading, however her last half-century was 10 innings ago.

Bond believes the captaincy may be hindering Devine's talents.

"I do think that maybe, just maybe, that this is the time to be bold. Maybe we need to look at a change of captain, because I know that Sophie has really struggled with her performances since she took over the captaincy. So maybe we need to look at that and be really bold around that."

Bond has a solution.

"Maybe we need to look at Amelia Kerr for that role, in the hope that we can turn things around prior to the World Cup next year. Because it's really critical that actually the White Ferns do well at this World Cup, given that it's a home World Cup. People aren't going to come to watch if we're performing poorly. We really do need to turn it around, it's really important at this point of time now, to be bold, and make some changes."

You can listen to the full interview on the On The Front Foot podcast.

The White Ferns play Australia in the first of three T20s next Sunday before the ODI Rose Bowl series.

Brooke Halliday is set to face Australia for the first time following back-to-back 50s in her first two ODI appearances last month, while Lea Tahuhu returns from injury for the ODI series.

Tahuhu has recovered from her hamstring strain but wasn't considered for the T20s, with the selectors opting to see her play fresh in the ODI format.

WHITE FERNS T20
Sophie Devine (c) (Wellington)
Maddy Green (Wellington)
Brooke Halliday (Northern Districts)
Hayley Jensen (Otago)
Fran Jonas* (Auckland)
Amelia Kerr (Wellington)
Jess Kerr (Wellington)
Rosemary Mair (Central Districts)
Frankie Mackay (Canterbury)
Katey Martin (wk) (Otago)
Thamsyn Newton (Wellington)
Hannah Rowe (Central Districts)
Amy Satterthwaite (vc) (Canterbury)

*potential T20 debutante

WHITE FERNS ODI
Sophie Devine (c) (Wellington)
Lauren Down (Auckland)
Maddy Green (Wellington)
Brooke Halliday (Northern Districts)
Hayley Jensen (Otago)
Leigh Kasperek (Wellington) - GAMES 2 & 3 ONLY
Amelia Kerr (Wellington)
Jess Kerr (Wellington)
Frankie Mackay (Canterbury)
Rosemary Mair (Central Districts)
Katey Martin (wk) (Otago)
Hannah Rowe (Central Districts) - GAME 1 ONLY
Amy Satterthwaite (vc) (Canterbury)
Lea Tahuhu (Canterbury)