Sawt Falasteen - Retiring great Sophie Devine wants New Zealand back playing Tests

Devine will end her 20-year international career at the Women's T20 World Cup in England and Wales in June-July, alongside retiring long-standing team-mates Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu.

The 36-year-old is one of the world's best all-rounders, scoring almost 8,000 runs and taking 239 wickets across ODIs and T20 internationals.

New Zealand's women's team, the White Ferns, last played a Test in August 2004, a drawn match against England at Scarborough.

Devine said it's a format she "would have loved to have played".

"It just hasn't been a priority for New Zealand cricket," Devine told AFP.

"I'll walk away from the game having not played one, but it's really cool to see more countries are taking up that opportunity to play Test cricket."

Between 2010 and 2020 just eight women's Tests were played featuring either England, Australia, India or South Africa.

In the past five years there have been 12 women's Tests played between those nations and the West Indies are to play a one-off Test against England in August 2027, their first in more than 20 years.

Devine said New Zealand would first need to prioritise longer form cricket domestically.

"You can't just rock up and play a four-day or five-day woman's Test, there's obviously a lot of work that has to go into that," Devine said.

"None of us have played multi-day cricket. Well, I have, but that was when I was in high school or playing club cricket 20 or 25 years ago.

"For me it's probably the ultimate form of the game."

- 'Part of me' -

In recent years Devine has taken time off from the game to focus on her mental health, having talked of feeling "numb" even during some of her greatest achievements.

In speaking out other cricketers have followed, the likes of New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr often opening up about her darkest moments.

"There certainly does seem to be a bit more acceptance with athletes sharing their stories and the mental health battles that people face," Devine said.

"Sometimes there's a stigma attached to mental health, especially with athletes, but hopefully I've been part of that acceptance and willingness to talk and share.

"Would I have liked to have not gone through it? Absolutely. But I think it's part of who I am and it's helped me grow and learn and become who I am today."

She said her personal struggles had set the tone for how she sought to lead the White Ferns at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

New Zealand turned around a run of 11 straight losses leading into the tournament to win the title.

It's an approach continued and perhaps improved upon by the 25-year-old Kerr, who has averaged more than 70 with the bat and under 18 with the ball since taking on the captaincy.

"Maybe I should have handed over the captaincy much sooner, had I know what it would do for her game," Devine said.

"We're in a better place than we were in '24. That playing XI is going to be tough to pick."

As she heads towards her final matches wearing the white fern, Devine said she is "fortunate and grateful" to have played at the time she has.

In her early days Devine said she would earn as little as NZ$30 (now US$18) for playing in a match, whereas in March she was bought for £210,000 (US$285,000) to play for the Welsh Fire in the women's Hundred.

"It's really exciting," said Devine, who will still play franchise cricket after international retirement.

"And it's only going to get bigger and better."

L.Hussein--SF-PST