All Blacks arrive at Auckland Airport from the Rugby World Cup Tournament.
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Suzie Bates is now the world’s leading international Twenty20 run scorer, but she’s not done racking up runs across the globe just yet.
Who’s the greatest T20 cricket player of all time? Martin Guptill? Virat Kohli? Well, according to the stats, it’s White Fern Suzie Bates.
Bates is the leading T20 international run-scorer in the world, having hit 4021 runs in her 15-year T20 international career.
She surpassed Indian legend Kohli’s record of 4008 when she scored 45 runs in her most recent T20 in South Africa. And it’s a feat she’s quietly chuffed about.
“That’s probably the coolest part of it all,” Bates laughs. “To get put on lists like that with some of the greatest female and male players is pretty cool, and [Kohli] is someone I’ve always admired.
“I’ve loved watching how he goes about the game, especially in Twenty20 cricket in pressure situations. He’s a bit of an idol of mine.”
But Bates was still disappointed the Ferns didn’t win that game. “When you’re playing in a game, that’s your focus,” she says, admitting she felt she’d been short on runs for the White Ferns lately.
“Melie Kerr and I were building a partnership and I knew it was an important partnership to get us close to winning that game, so that milestone was sort of far from my mind in the moment.
“I was really disappointed when I got out in that game and we didn’t manage to go on and win from a position I thought we could have.”
Suzie Bates raises her bat. Photo / Getty Images
Not one to focus on milestones, it wasn’t until that night and the day after when Bates started receiving messages from people who have been part of her journey, and the highs and lows, when she could reflect on the achievement.
“It was pretty special to reflect on my Twenty20 career particularly, as I was there from when it first started and now to where the game is,” she says.
“To have contributed 4000 runs for the White Ferns is nothing I take for granted.”
Bates also clocked up 300 appearances for the White Ferns last month, another record broken, a special occasion for her.
“I remember just trying to take a moment of embracing the whole occasion and sort of thinking that I’ve done this 300 times, which is sort of unbelievable when I think of it like that,” she says.
“All the messages after, from people who have been on that journey with you, it does make it pretty special to think back about all the teammates you’ve played with, and all the coaches as well.”
Bates made her T20 debut in 2007, in a match against South Africa in England. She opened the batting for the White Ferns and made 62 from 37 - the team’s top scorer. She also took a wicket and a run-out as the Ferns won by 97 runs. She’s the only player from that team to still be in the White Ferns.
“What I do remember was kind of like ‘Oh we’ll play this Twenty20 form, it’s a bit of fun’, and it was a bit sort of jovial, which that’s how the game should be played,” she says.
With all the franchise leagues across the world, T20s have become the format played most often for professional cricketers. But back then, Bates says, “every now and then we got to have a hit and a giggle”.
“It suited me to a T in those days, just opening the batting and swinging freely,” the now 36-year-old says.
“I probably need to find some of that inner young Suzie, the way she batted then. I do remember getting off to a bit of a flyer and Taunton was a good batting wicket so that was a fun day.”
Bates has played in leagues around the world - from England, to the Caribbean, to Australia, where she’s currently playing for the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL.
The ability to be a professional women’s cricketer is something Bates couldn’t have even considered when she made her debut for the White Ferns at just 18.
“It was never even an option when I first started as a White Fern, it was literally like a hobby, everyone had their part-time jobs or were studying,” she explains.
“You had a couple of tours a year and you played domestically but it was all balanced around whatever everyone else was doing as their job. And now you have the ability to train fulltime, have the resources to train fulltime and that’s where the game has changed so much, the competition and the depth.”
Suzie Bates plays it in the V. Photo / Photosport
Seventeen White Ferns are now on New Zealand Cricket contracts and able to pursue fulltime cricket, with a majority of them spending time in leagues around the world during the Kiwi winter.
“You had to be in a pretty privileged position when I first started to be able to do that, financially, with support from your parents or studying,” Bates says.
“When you got to sort of 25-26, you probably had to make other career choices and we lost a lot of our best players too soon because they couldn’t financially support themselves through cricket.
“Around the world, you just see young 17- to 18-year-old girls with the world at their feet, and so many opportunities, which makes me really proud that we’ve got to this point and I’ve been through both sides of it and am still here.”
Despite an extensive list of cricketing achievements around the globe, there’s still one thing left on Bates’ cricket bucket list.
“There’s always that nagging World Cup win - as a team sport, you want to be world champions. I’ve always felt every tournament I’ve gone to, we’ve had that chance and haven’t done that yet. So that’s still something in the back of my mind,” she says.
She wasn’t selected for the inaugural women’s IPL (Indian Premier League) last year, and is keen to be involved this year. But she’s just taking things one step at a time, and focusing on performing for whatever team she plays for.
“I just want to contribute in every game, so it’s about scoring runs and giving myself the best chance every game - keeping it as simple as that and not looking too far ahead,” she says.
Cricket will be included in the Olympics for the first time in Los Angeles in 2028 - a long time in the future for someone who’s been in the White Ferns for 17 years. But Bates has already been to an Olympic Games, playing basketball for New Zealand in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Being able to play cricket at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year was a career highlight for Bates, especially standing on the podium with a bronze medal.
“And the fact that cricket is now at the Olympics is very cool and I just get so excited for the young group of players around me,” Bates says.
“They’ve got so much motivation to be the best they can be, and there’s so much reward if they put the work in, so it is cool to watch.”
As for Bates’ advice for those young players?
“Stay off social media and comments,” she says, the negativity of anonymous critics never-ending. “I think the more you can keep out of that bubble, the better it is for you while you’re playing.”
She also stresses the importance of looking after yourself - both physically and mentally.
“If you stay fit and healthy, you have a lot more time in the game, your body and your mind are your paycheck I guess,” she explains.
“So the more effort you put into that over a long period of time, the more chance you’ve got to make the most of a very exciting career in cricket.
“It’s easier said than done, but just taking one game at a time, not looking too far ahead. I think with so many opportunities and different teams, you sort of get carried away with everything and at the end of the day, it’s just doing your job for whatever team you’re playing for and bringing it back to that.”
This story was originally published at Newsroom.co.nz and is republished with permission.
