New Zealand Women Gear Up for World Cup with Chennai Camp

CHENNAI: The New Zealand women’s cricket team commenced their preparations for the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup on Saturday, initiating a two-week training camp at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai.

The training, managed by head coach Ben Sawyer and assistant coach Craig McMillan, is strategically designed to help players acclimatize to spin-friendly conditions ahead of the competition in India and Sri Lanka.

Ten players, including prominent contracted players such as Jess Kerr, Brooke Halliday, and Georgia Plimmer, are participating in the camp, along with promising talents like Izzy Sharp, Flora Devonshire, and Emma McLeod.

Sawyer mentioned that the timing of the camp is optimal, given the current winter season in New Zealand and the limited opportunities for competitive cricket.

“Being just two months away from the World Cup, this camp offers the perfect setting for our team. We have included seven contracted players and three talented young players who we believe will gain important experience playing in these conditions,” Sawyer stated.

Following their time in Chennai, the White Ferns are scheduled to travel to Dubai for a series of one-day matches against England before the World Cup begins on September 30.

The training agenda has been specifically designed to replicate the challenges presented by the hot, subcontinental conditions.

Sawyer expressed satisfaction with the team’s development in handling spin, citing Izzy Sharp’s impressive 80-run innings and Maddy Green’s creative sweep shots as notable instances of adaptation.

While the group in Chennai focuses on achieving match readiness, experienced players such as Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, and Amelia Kerr are actively competing in overseas assignments, ensuring that all team members maintain their form leading up to the tournament.

“With a combination of domestic camps, overseas games, and exposure to heat and spin, we are making every effort to ensure we are fully prepared for the World Cup,” Sawyer concluded.

The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 is scheduled to start on September 30 and conclude on November 2, taking place across five cities in India and Sri Lanka.

Host nation India will play against Sri Lanka in the opening match in Bengaluru, while reigning champions Australia will begin their title defence against T20 World Cup winners New Zealand on October 1 in Indore.

The eight-team tournament will be played in a single round-robin format, where each team plays the other once. The top four teams will then proceed to the semi-finals. Matches will take place in Bengaluru, Vizag, Indore, Guwahati, and Colombo.

One semi-final will be held in Bengaluru, with the other potentially in either Colombo or Guwahati. The final is slated for November 2, with Bengaluru and Colombo being considered as potential venues.

Each team will also participate in two warm-up matches, beginning on September 24. India is set to face the 2022 runners-up, England, in a warm-up match in Bengaluru, followed by a game against South Africa on September 27 in Guwahati.

The 2025 edition will be the 13th of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, which first took place in 1973. Australia, after winning their seventh title in 2022, gained automatic qualification by leading the ICC Women’s Championship standings.

England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and host nation India also qualified directly.

The final two spots were secured by Pakistan and Bangladesh, who finished in the top two at the Women’s World Cup Qualifier held in April.