Rosemary Mair, Izzy Gaze return as White Ferns announce squad for Sri Lanka tour

New Zealand women have announced a 15-member squad for their upcoming white-ball tour to the island nation Sri Lanka starting June 27. Both sides will take on each other in three ODI matches, which will be followed by a series of three T20I matches scheduled to begin on July 8. 

The squad announcement witnesses the return of a few promising players. The 24-year-old pacer Rosemary Mair makes has made a comeback to the side. She last featured for the White Ferns when they took on England during the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.

Furthermore, announcement also marks the return of the 19-year-old wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze. She did miss out on the T20 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year, but her return to the set-up would surely boost her morale going forward.

We’re excited to have Rosemary and Izzy back: Ben Sawyer

Furthermore, New Zealand women’s head coach Ben Sawyer came forward to welcome both Gaze and Mary back into the squad. He stated that the whole team looks forward to seeing how they adapt to their return to the fold.

"We’re excited to have Rosemary and Izzy back, both players have worked hard on their respective games since their last international tours, and we’re looking forward to seeing how they handle the challenges that this tour will bring," Ben Sawyer was quoted as saying by Stuff.co.nz.

"They both bring their own unique strengths to the group, and we hope that they’ll contribute to what will hopefully be a successful tour," he added.

Sophie Devine will be leading the side during the tour, with Melie Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Maddy Green, and many more experienced individuals in the line-up as well. With Sri Lanka hosting the series, it could be interesting to see how New Zealand fare in subcontinental conditions, and Sawyer also spoke on the same.

"This is the first time almost all of the squad will have experienced playing in Sri Lanka, so it’s a good opportunity for our players to develop their game in testing sub-continental conditions," Ben Sawyer said.

New Zealand women vs Sri Lanka women schedule: