“The opportunity to hopefully replicate what they did well back in 2000”: Sophie Devine hopeful of replicating the 2000 ICC Women’s World Cup New Zealand success

ICC Women’s World Cup: New Zealand captain Sophie Devine is eager to perform well in their home conditions and win their 2nd trophy.

New Zealand is set to host the Women’s World Cup 2022 from 4 March, whereas the final will be played on 3 April. The mega event of Women’s cricket is already under a lot of Covid threats. There has been a steep rise in the Covid cases in New Zealand. The Omicron variant has been increasing rapidly in the country.

To manage the games on a regular basis, and to reduce the postponements, ICC has made a different rule. A team will be allowed to play in the game with a minimum of nine players available. They can use their non-playing female support staff on the field if required. New Zealand won their only World cup 2000, and they were the host that time as well. The White Ferns would want to get their 2nd major trophy on their home soil.

Sophie Devine confident about ICC Women’s World Cup

Sophie Devine has said that the 2000 Final is still fresh for her, and she would want to replicate it. She insists that the team wants to play an exciting brand of cricket.

“There are so many memories. There’s a number of us who were inspired by those players in that tournament and it’s pretty incredible to think here we are, some 20-odd years later, hosting our own World Cup and the opportunity to hopefully replicate what they did well back in 2000,” Devine said.

“We know if we play a really exciting brand of cricket that we can get the whole country behind that’s going to leave a legacy, we don’t need to worry about that.”

“Think that’s something the Blackcaps did particularly well in 2015. They really did have the whole country behind them.”

New Zealand recently defeated India by 4-1 in the ODI series, and they are looking like a settled outfit. Devine recons that the Indian series will be a huge confidence booster for them.

“It’s a huge confidence-builder for us, we played some excellent cricket,” Devine said.

“The thing that was most pleasing for me was the consistency in the group, to score 250 regularly is something that we’ve demanded for the last couple of years and to be able to do that against a world-class side in India, a couple of big chases as well, will hold us in really good stead.”

New Zealand will face West Indies in their opening game on 4 March 2022 at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.