WELLINGTON: Austra­lian Ben Sawyer was on Monday appointed head coach of the New Zealand women’s cricket team, with the Commonwealth Games next month his immediate priority.

The 42-year-old assumes the role after serving for three years as the Australian women’s bowling coach.

His departure further depletes the world’s top team after Australian head coach Matthew Mott recently left to take charge of England’s men in white-ball cricket.

Shelley Nitschke is currently acting interim coach of Australia, who are the ODI and Twenty20 world champions.

“I see a lot of potential in this White Ferns group and I feel really optimistic about helping to untap that potential so they can take their cricket to the next level,” said Sawyer, who also coaches Birmingham Phoe­nix in The Hundred.

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine said Sawyer represented a reset for the team after the retirement of former coach Bob Carter.

Published in Dawn,June 7th, 2022