'We can work harder and that's our job' - Amelia Kerr hopes New Zealand Cricket contract will revolutionize women's game

New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr believes the New Zealand Cricket's (NZC) new deal will transform the game for female athletes. Women cricketers will earn the same match fees as their male counterparts under a five-year master agreement between NZC, the country's six major cricket associations, and the NZC Players Association, respectively.

The 22-year-old hopes that now that full-time professionals are available, NZC would "invest more" in the women's game, which is critical. She also stated that they want to perform and that the best way to improve is to train every day. She added that having full-time professional athletes allows them to work harder on their game.

"For a while, we have had half the team full-time professionals, and half balancing cricket and work. To have everyone as full-time professionals allows us to invest more in our cricket and that's so important," Kerr said during Kiwis' camp ahead of the tour of Sri Lanka. 

"We want to perform and the only way to get better is if we can train every day and put our focus into that. It is good to have balance outside of it. Having full-time professional athletes means we can work harder, and that's our job - we turn up every day and that's what we are meant to do," Kerr concluded.

Amelia Kerr wins inaugural WPL with Mumbai Indians

Amelia Kerr is returning after a two-month break following the 2023 Women's Premier League (WPL), where she was a key member of the Harmanpreet Kaur-led, Mumbai Indians (MI). She picked up 15 wickets in the inaugural edition and tied for third most. Moreover, Kerr was a key batter in the middle order for the WPL 2023 champions.

Before that, Kerr was a member of New Zealand's bronze-medal-winning team at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in August 2022. Thereafter, the Kiwi played in the Hundred and the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). The 22-year-old also toured the West Indies, played Bangladesh at home, and then the Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa earlier in 2023.