Women's World Cup, ENG vs NZ: New Zealand coach Ben Sawyer said that there will be a lot of emotions when Sophie Devine steps out to play her farewell ODI on Sunday against England in Visakhapatnam.
00:00Good afternoon coach. Obviously tomorrow will be skipper Sophie Devine's last ODA match and a lot of different emotions I assume in the dugout, especially after the tough loss a couple of days back. So how's the team compartmentalising all that emotions I had of tomorrow's match?
00:19Yeah, look, obviously yesterday was a big day, a big travel day and we've actually given the girls today off just to, I guess, rest and recover. It was a late finish the other night. Yeah, look, it was obviously a little bit emotional in probably the change rooms afterwards and everyone more so for the fact that we know that we can't go further in the competition, not so much about Soph, but yeah, look, I'm sure tomorrow there'll be lots of different emotions flying around about Sophie.
00:48Sophie's last game for ODI cricket for New Zealand. I know I've thought about it and what I might say to the team before that. So, yeah, look, there'll be lots of different emotions that lots of different people are feeling. So, but I am certain tomorrow, not just for Soph, but, you know, for our own sake and the team, everyone's really keen to put our best foot forward against England.
01:10Just a query on the weather. There is a cyclone warning for the day after the match. It seems the New Zealand team has taken a liking for rain for maybe not so good reasons. So are you taking that into consideration tomorrow? The landfall is supposed to be on the day after the match.
01:27So are you taking that into consideration for team selection or batting first or bowling first?
01:33Not if it's going to rain the day after, but I did. I was with Pheebs in the car just then and we were looking at the weather for tomorrow. So it looks pretty, pretty clear for tomorrow, but we did make a bit of a laugh that it looks like it was like 40 or 50 meals the day after.
01:45So, yeah, it seems to be following us around a little bit at the moment, but yeah, from what I've seen, it looks like we'll get a full game in tomorrow, which is great.
02:00My question is that how do you view New Zealand so far? Second thing, what do you think this is the area where New Zealand lags behind other teams?
02:10Yeah, look, I think, number one, we're trying to, and we have been for a couple of years, really trying to build our depth and I think you can see that the other night. We spent a lot of time, I guess, trying to develop some young players.
02:26We always knew that Soph and, you know, potentially Susie soon and Leah, girls like that, they are going to move on.
02:33So a conscious decision was made a couple of years ago to really look at some younger players and to, I guess, stick by them and keep faith in them.
02:42And I think you're seeing that, you know, Izzy Gaze the other night got her first 50 and her highest ODI score.
02:48And I know we lost and, you know, we fell 50 short, but I guess one pleasing factor there was we did that in a way without Sophie and without Susie.
02:58You know, their contributions weren't huge the other night and we were still able to chase and chase well.
03:04We didn't get across the line, but a number of those players that we have spent a lot of time with over the years, I guess, made the bulk of our runs there the other night.
03:14So for me, that's an area that we've really tried to improve on.
03:19Yeah, I think another area is probably our spin bowling.
03:22Just hasn't been as effective this trip, not through any lack of work, not through any lack of trying,
03:28but we just haven't been able to take the wickets that maybe other teams have.
03:32And maybe that's not having a left arm ortho here just at the moment.
03:35But full faith in those that we've got at home that are working hard to get back into this team.
03:41But, yeah, they're probably the area that I think maybe we've lacked in this World Cup.
03:46Last one.
03:47What good memory do you remind of on this World Cup after going there?
03:52Sorry, I'll have to get you to repeat it.
03:54What memories did you have from this World Cup?
03:56From this one?
03:59Yeah, probably, to be honest, the effort that went into it beforehand.
04:05We put a hell of a lot of work into this World Cup, lots of prep.
04:08We had a really big winter, not many games just because of the FTP schedule.
04:14So I watched those girls work as hard as they possibly could in the winter to prepare for the hot conditions here,
04:21to prepare for Indian conditions.
04:23And while the results would say that we didn't quite get it right,
04:28I've never seen us in better shape and ready to go.
04:30So, yeah, it didn't come together at the tournament, but I just really hope our girls can now build off that again.
04:37And, you know, we've got another bulk of work to do in the next few, I guess, before our next home tour,
04:44which is in February and March against South Africa and Zimbabwe.
04:48So another good block of work and then focus on the T20 World Cup in England next year.
04:55Just a quick question on the transition phase of the team for life after Sophie Devine in the SOTIA format.
05:02Have you identified the leadership group that will take New Zealand cricket forward?
05:06Have you had those conversations already?
05:09How has it been?
05:11Yeah, we've had all those chats.
05:12We've been having them for a number of years.
05:14I guess it started potentially, well, it did start when Sophie spoke about stepping away from the captaincy at the T20 World Cup and she did that.
05:23So even before that, we've had those chats.
05:26We've identified players that we think could, I guess, for want of a better phrase, make up a bit of a leadership group.
05:31And we've spoken to, I guess, who we think will captain the team.
05:35But I'll probably keep that to myself just at the moment.
05:37But, yeah, I can promise you that those conversations have all been had.
05:43In looking ahead to tomorrow, I think we're due a win against England.
05:48We've come close in some of those warm-up games in Dubai.
05:51I guess how do you assess how you think we're going to match up to them tomorrow?
05:56Yeah, again, you're spot on.
05:58History says that they've well and truly had the better of us for the last couple of years, especially in ODI cricket.
06:04I think our last win was back in New Zealand at Hamilton there.
06:09And once again, that day, Sophie stepped up, I think, and got 100.
06:13So hopefully she can do that tomorrow.
06:15But, yeah, I actually do think we match up quite well against them.
06:20Like you said, having played them a lot, it's not like we've got to do much more scouting or know what we've got to work on.
06:26It's just execution.
06:27So really looking forward tomorrow.
06:30They're obviously a world-class team that have shown here just how good they are to make the semis.
06:36But, yeah, I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't be nice to get one over them probably in the last couple of years.
06:42And just back to Sophie.
06:43As you said, she's stepping away from ODI cricket.
06:46I guess what does she give to this team on and off the field?
06:50What do you think she's going to leave with this team when she moves on?
06:54Yeah, for me, it's just, I can only speak personally.
06:57But for me, I was, again, because I was thinking about potentially what I'd even say to the group tomorrow.
07:03But it's just been an absolute honour and a privilege to work alongside her.
07:08I know in my early days of WBBL, she was always a player that I probably thought it would be cool to be in the same team as her.
07:16And I've been lucky enough with a couple of franchises and saw her work there.
07:21But it's really in this New Zealand environment where I think she's at her most comfortable.
07:27She leads this team so well.
07:30Everything about this team, the culture, the values that they have on and off the field, I feel from when I stepped in here, they came from Soph.
07:40And she's really, I think, established those.
07:43I am certain that people before her did the same.
07:45But from my experience, she's the one who's driven this team.
07:49And it's up to now some younger players, I think, to pick that up and run with it.
07:53And to be honest, I don't think we'll veer too much from the blueprint that Sophie's had for this side.
07:59Because it's been an outstanding one.
08:01So for me, just the way that she's set up the culture and the values in this side is the thing that I'll remember the most.
08:08And Brooke Halliday, how has her role in this group changed, I guess, over the last couple of years?
08:14And I guess her development as a key batter for us?
08:18Yeah, I think, number one, it's been her batting.
08:21And that is all credit to her and to coaches like Dean Brownlee in particular, I think,
08:27who's worked with her for, you know, a number of seasons now.
08:31But for me, it's just the way she's gone about it over here.
08:34She's come up with a pretty simple game plan, which I think everyone's seen.
08:37She's swept the ball a lot.
08:39She's assessed the conditions.
08:40And it's a game plan that I think she's figured out.
08:44It's pretty simple.
08:45And she's run with it.
08:46And she's done that for six or seven games.
08:49Off the field, you know, I always think she's been a leader.
08:52Yeah, she's somebody who tells it like it is, which is a great trait to have.
08:59And somebody who tries to help those around her.
09:01So, yeah, I'm really happy for what she's been able to achieve at this World Cup.
09:05And lastly, a big block of domestic cricket before our next international matches.
09:10I guess how valuable is that for the group to prepare and also potentially for other players
09:15in the domestic scene to put their hand up?
09:17Yeah, I say this a lot and sometimes it gets me in trouble back home.
09:20But, yeah, I want our players to go there and dominate that competition.
09:25And then for other players to, I guess, see that and go, well, that's the level that we've got to get to.
09:30So, yeah, I think we've said in the past that, you know, there's not a huge number of, like,
09:38full-time professional cricketers at home.
09:40So, it is up to those girls that are in the New Zealand team to really show the level that others need to be at.
09:46So, for me, yeah, the challenge to all our white ferns is to go back and just kill that competition.
09:52And I think that's great for the comp because it lifts other peoples up.
09:55And it also shows, you know, that they are the best 17 in the country.
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