New Zealand Cricket (NZC), on Monday, confirmed the appointment of Ben Sawyer as women’s head coach on a two-year contract. Sawyer, who recently held the assistant coach role of the Australia women’s side, will begin his first assignment with Commonwealth Games at the end of July, followed by a tour of the West Indies.
“I can’t wait to get stuck in. I see a lot of potential in this White Ferns group, and I feel really optimistic about helping to untap that potential so they can take their cricket to the next level. It’s certainly going to be a learning process as I get to know the players, and they get to know me and my cricket philosophies and coaching style,” said Sawyer, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
“If you get the players making a priority of the processes and concentrating on the preparation and routines that improve and develop performance, then the outcomes tend to look after themselves. That’s where consistency of performance comes from, and that’s what we’re seeking,” he added.
Sawyer is also the head coach of the Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred and previously served as head coach of the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL as well.
Sophie Devine, the White Ferns skipper, welcomed the move to work with Sawyer, hoping to bring similar success as he brought for the Aussie women’s team.
“We’re really looking forward to working with Ben and receiving the benefit of his experience. He’s been a key figure in the ongoing success of the Australian women’s team, and we hope we can tap into that bank of experience and grow together as a team. The upcoming Commonwealth Games campaign in Birmingham and the tour to West Indies will be really helpful in that regard – there’s nothing like away tours for bringing a group together and sharing a common purpose,” said Devine.
