Focus now different for Satterthwaite
AUCKLAND: Amy Satterthwaite is having some sleepless nights — but not because of her demotion from the White Ferns captaincy.
Satterthwaite is back from maternity leave, linking up with the White Ferns squad as it takes part in the first of six winter training camps before a tentative schedule which has the team resuming action against Australia at the end of September.
However, she will do so in a lesser capacity, having been bumped from the captaincy upon her return, after Sophie Devine took up the fulltime role after impressing during Satterthwaite's absence.
While Satterthwaite is trying to juggle a lack of sleep alongside her return to training, those restless nights are caused by 6monthold daughter Grace, rather than lingering resentment over being snubbed for the top job.
The process undertaken by New Zealand Cricket acknowledged from the outset Satterthwaite remained the incumbent captain, but Devine's performances in charge won her the nod, something Satterthwaite acknowledged was gutting.
‘‘It was disappointing not to retain the captaincy. I really enjoyed the opportunity to do that last year and it's always a real honour to lead your country but I've got a different focus now in terms of getting back to being able to play cricket at an international level, and I'm really excited about that challenge,’’ Satterthwaite said.
‘‘I'm looking forward, as well, to supporting Sophie. I guess I've always been in and around the leadership group in the last few years — even when Suzie [Bates] was involved — so I think that doesn't change in terms of offering that leadership.’’
Satterthwaite notes that the jokingly selfproclaimed ‘‘three wise women’’ should create a strong leadership triumvirate.
‘‘We've been around for a wee while now and got a lot of experience. That's the beauty of the group we've got — between the three of us we've got different strengths we can offer from a leadership point of view, which is a real asset.’’
Satterthwaite (33) will also offer plenty with the bat, stabilising a top order overly reliant on Devine's contributions during the poolplay exit at the T20 World Cup. She averages 39 in oneday internationals and, with the ODI World Cup still scheduled to be hosted in New Zealand in February, she is preparing to be at her peak.
‘‘I'm back hitting balls and feeling like I haven't left to a certain extent.
‘‘I took my time to ease back into it, let the body adjust, and that adjustment's been going pretty well so far thankfully. I was a bit nervous to be honest about hitting balls for the first time but somewhere deep within there was that muscle memory.
‘‘It doesn't get much better than having a World Cup at home, we're really looking forward to that and we've got a lot of hard work to do between now and then.’’ — The New Zealand Herald