White Ferns great Amy Satterthwaite has called time on her international career. Photo / photosport.nz
White Ferns great Amy Satterthwaite has called time on her international career. Photo / photosport.nz
A few days after being given the "devastating" news, an emotional Amy Satterthwaite is still coming to terms with the shock end of her New Zealand career.
Satterthwaite, the White Ferns' most-capped ODI player and second-highest runscorer, yesterday announced her retirement from international cricket, a decision that came sooner thanshe would have liked.
The 35-year-old learnt last week she would not be offered an annual contract by New Zealand Cricket, despite feeling she had much more to give to the White Ferns.
Satterthwaite said she would have fought for her place had she been a couple of years younger, but instead must now look back on last summer's home World Cup as her last experience wearing the silver fern.
Asked if she felt like a scapegoat for New Zealand's poor campaign, which ended at the group stage, Satterthwaite said: "That's one word that's probably been thrown around a little bit."
But she expressed no bitterness while speaking for 10 minutes at Hagley Oval, saying she had to accept NZC's decision to take a long-term view with the White Ferns.
"It's come out of the blue," she said. "I hadn't been given any insight that this was going to happen and this was the direction they wanted to go.
"It was a very difficult conversation. I had a meeting with [chief executive] David White and [high performance manager] Bryan Stronach. They sat me down and told me I wouldn't be receiving a contract and the reasons why.
"They were wanting to look to the future and bring in some younger players and contract them. So it was pretty devastating to hear that and it's been an emotional few days."
One of the biggest sources of disappointment for Sattherthwaite was the call from NZC coming with the Commonwealth Games two months away, the first time women's cricket would feature at the event.
"We've been talking about it for a while - since we found out cricket was going to be in the Commonwealth Games - how excited everyone was to have the opportunity to be a part of that," she said.
"Certainly I was one of those people who was excited to have that opportunity, and to feel like that's been taken away from me is pretty tough."
Amy Satterthwaite speaks at Hagley Oval yesterday. Photo / George Heard
With the Commonwealth Games to be contested in the Twenty20 format and the next T20 World Cup looming in February, Stronach indicated the prominence of the shortest form played a part in NZC's decision.
"We also considered the immediate playing programme and next pinnacle events - both heavily weighted towards T20I cricket," he said.
But that reasoning wasn't accepted by Satterthwaite, who was coming off a strong domestic season and would now bow out as New Zealand's third-highest scorer in T20Is.
"It probably does sting a bit," she said. "My performances in both formats of late have been up there, so to feel one has been singled out was a little bit tough.
"I was hopeful to be still be involved for a while. It felt like I had a bit more to give to the team."
Satterthwaite's departure leaves the White Ferns without a vice captain or coach, as the search for Bob Carter's replacement continues.
But Stronach spoke highly of the next generation of players breaking into the team, who would now be charged with replacing one of the country's greats.
"We're not where this team needs to be - I think the World Cup showed that," he said. "We do think we've got an extremely exciting bunch of talent coming through our system now, which is a massive change for us."
NZC will today announce the full list of contracted players for the 2022-23 season, while Satterthwaite will continue to play domestic cricket for Canterbury and has a contract with the Manchester Originals for the women's Hundred competition in August.
She said the growth of women's cricket was the highlight of her White Ferns tenure and, having had a daughter with wife and teammate Lea Tahuhu in 2020, pointed out one positive to the conclusion of her 15-year international career.
"I think Grace is looking forward to having me home a bit more."
