Passion driving Devine as NZ eye fairytale finish at CWC25
If nothing else, Sophie Devine will 'enjoy every moment' of her last World Cup.
It will be five-and-out for New Zealand Cricket's marvel, Sophie Devine.
She will retire from ODIs after the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, in what will be her fifth appearance at the tournament.
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The history-making all-rounder will relish the responsibility of captaining a White Ferns side stacked with enough talent to make a deep run and potentially match the feats of their T20 counterparts last year.
Victory in 50-over World Cups has eluded Devine and New Zealand - the White Ferns only win at the format came back in 2000 - but success this time will simply be a bonus for the accomplished 36-year-old.
“I feel in a really good space to go out and enjoy every moment of my last World Cup,” Devine told ICC Media.
“That is something I am really proud of, to be in a space now where I feel so comfortable and confident in my own abilities but also to lead this team with a lot of pride. Everyone knows how passionate I am about the White Ferns and New Zealand Cricket."
“That is something that has never changed from the 17-year-old who first played to now, my love for the team hasn’t wavered. If anything, it has probably grown over time.”
"It is crazy to think nearly 20 years have passed and to think how much I’ve grown. Not just as a player, which has been pretty obvious - I have filled lots of different position in this White Ferns team – but more importantly the person I have become."
And Devine will look to channel her passion and love for the White Ferns in India and Sri Lanka, buoyed by the knowledge New Zealand Cricket has a lot of rising talent ready to take the reins into the future.
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“We want everyone to get better, and we look out for each other. It doesn’t matter what team I’m playing for; I want to make myself and my teammates better," she continued.
“Seeing where it has come from and even how quickly it has changed over the past couple of years, the potential for the women’s game is limitless. To be able to help where I can and help grow the game is what makes the women’s cricket environment so special.
“Being able to share that excitement with younger players is a really rewarding part of the game. When my time is up, I will be the biggest fan, watching the game and how it continues to evolve."
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Australia (seven) and England (four) have enjoyed a stranglehold over the Women's Cricket World Cup since its inception in 1973. The tournament has been played 12 times previously and those two nations have claimed the top prize on 11 occasions - New Zealand's win in 2000 is the only aberation.
But the White Ferns recent success at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup has them full of belief they can not only go all the way, but send Devine out a winner too.
“It has certainly given us confidence, but we know this is a different format, it’s a new tournament so everyone starts back on zero," she continued.
“It was pretty well documented that we didn’t have the greatest run of results leading into the T20 World Cup, but we had such a strong belief in the group that we were doing the right things behind closed doors. It taught us a lot of resilience and winning that World Cup proved to us that we have the ability to beat anyone in the world."
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“As always, us Kiwis are pretty happy to fly under the radar. The ones in the room are the ones we care about the most.
"The great thing about the World Cup, compared to when I look back at the start of my career, is that anyone can win this tournament. It’s a really exciting place to be.”
The White Ferns will take on Australia first up in a mouthwatering clash in Indore on Day 2 of the World Cup.
New Zealand Squad: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Lea Tahuhu