Picture Credit: Twitter
New Zealand cricketer Amy Satterthwaite announced retirement from international cricket on Thursday (26 May). Satterthwaite’s decision to hang her boots comes after not receiving a central contract for the 2022-23 season. She has been the most-capped White Ferns' cricketer as she has scored 4,639 runs in 145 ODIs at an average of 38.33, and another 1,784 for her country in Twenty20 matches.
Amy Satterthwaite made her T20I debut in 2007 against Australia and soon received an ODI debut just two days later against the same opposition. She has recorded seven centuries in her career out of which four were hit in consecutive games.
She also captained New Zealand in 2018 and 2019 as she ends her career after 145 ODIs and 111 T20Is. She took a break from international cricket in 2019 for the birth of her first child before returning to the field the following year.
“I'm immensely proud of my journey with the White Ferns,” Satterthwaite
While addressing her retirement, Satterthwaite said, “It is with a degree of sadness that I announce my retirement from international cricket. It has been a tough few days after learning of NZC's decision to head in a new direction and contract some younger cricketers.”
“I'm disappointed not to be receiving a contract and believe I still had more to offer, however, I respect NZC's decision and I wish the White Ferns all the best as they embark on an exciting winter of cricket, including the Commonwealth Games,” she continued.
“I'm immensely proud of my journey with the White Ferns and especially taking the time away to give birth to our daughter, Grace, before returning to play international cricket," she said. “I didn't know if I would ever make it back to the top level and I hope my story can inspire other mums and mums-to-be that it is possible to follow your career dreams and start a family.”
“Amy will be remembered as one of our best cricketers,” Stronach
New Zealand Cricket General Manager of High-Performance Bryan Stronach also addressed Satterthwaite’s retirement. “Amy will be remembered as one of our best cricketers; her record is outstanding, and she can feel really proud about what she has achieved – not just for herself and the team, but also for all the players she has inspired and enabled,” he said.
“Essentially, we’re looking to the future and want to give some younger cricketers a chance to develop their skills surrounded by our high-performance systems. We also considered the immediate playing programme and next pinnacle events - both heavily weighted towards T20I cricket.”