The Front Page: World Cup autopsy - How do White Ferns rebuild after calamity?

Front Page Podcast Host·NZ Herald·

4 Apr, 2022 05:00 PM3 mins to read

The White Ferns had a disappointing World Cup. Photo / Getty Images

What went wrong? And how do you fix it?

Those are the big questions that Newstalk ZB sports journalist Kate Wells helped New Zealand Herald podcast The Front Page answer as we dissect the White Ferns' early exit from the 2022 Cricket World Cup.

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New Zealand suffered its worst result in the history of the World Cup, continuing a downward trajectory that has seen the team finish second, fourth, fifth and now sixth in respective tournaments.

Wells says there's a growing divide between the countries that do well and those that don't when it comes to the World Cup.

"Australia, South Africa and England all have pretty similar programmes in the sense that they are professional and countries like New Zealand still have a massive way to go," says Wells.

"We've had players like Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates talking about it. We just don't have the money going into our programme, which shows in the results. We don't have the funding for players to just play cricket. It's simply not enough. So, perhaps if we put more money into, we'll get more from our players."

Beyond the issue of money, there are also being asked of the leadership of the team.

"It's fair to say the team under-performed under Bob Carter," says Wells.

"In the lead up to the World Cup, I was surprised he was still in that top job after the season. But I did think they had turned a corner… in the series against India, which we won. I was optimistic that we'd do well.

"But I think the team now needs a huge overhaul when it comes to leadership."

So who could step in to take over the coaching role at the team now that Carter is leaving?

"Jacob Oram, the bowling coach, might want to step up to the plate. I think another great contender could be Craig Cumming, who coached the Otago Sparks to the T20 Super smash final in the summer as well as last month winning the one-day domestic Hallyburton Johnstone Shield Final. His results really speak for themselves."

In addition to the changes at the top, Wells says the squad is also set for a period of transition.

"It's clear that wicketkeeper Katie Martin won't be progressing through to another World Cup," says Wells.

"Some which have question marks are Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, Lea Tahuhu, Amy Satterthwaite and Frankie Mackay. We don't know what their plans are at the moment, but they're obviously at the end of their cricket careers. We know that cricketers can be great when they're mature players in their mid to late 30s. But I think it's time for a new and refreshed cycle of White Ferns players."

But this is only part of the story. Listen to The Front Page for our discussion on what comes next for women's cricket in Aotearoa, and subscribe to the podcast for daily updates on the biggest story around.