Offspinner Eden Carson and wicketkeeper-batter Izzy Gaze have earned their maiden call-ups to the New Zealand squad for the T20 competition at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Left-arm spinner Fran Jonas, who has played five ODIs, and middle-order batter Georgia Plimmer, who was the replacement player for Lauren Down at the 50-over World Cup earlier this year, are also part of the 15-member squad. All four players were recently handed their first-time New Zealand contracts.
Wicketkeeper-batter Jess McFayden, who traveled with the national team on the tour to England last year, is also in the squad. The touring party to the games in Birmingham has two wicketkeepers in McFadyen and Gaze, three spinners in Amelia Kerr, Carson and Jonas, pacers Hannah Rowe, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair and Hayley Jensen and batters Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Maddy Green, Lauren Down and Brooke Halliday.
"To be the first women's cricket team to represent the country at a global event like the Commonwealth Games is truly an honour," captain Devine said at the team's first winter training camp at Bay Oval. "It's been great to get the group back together this week at Bay Oval and our new squad members are finding their feet and fitting in well."
"It's a terrific time for cricket to be back at the Commonwealth Games - and it's another excellent development for the women's and girl's game, both here and around the world," NZC chief executive David White said. "I'm sure the players are going to love the experience of being part of a wider New Zealand team, and the slightly different context of the Games environment."
Women's cricket is set to feature for the first time at the Commonwealth Games. The New Zealand's men's team had won the bronze medal at the 50-over competition played in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
The eight teams at the T20 competition - which is scheduled to be played from July 29 to August 7 - along with New Zealand are Australia, Barbados, England, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa. New Zealand are set to play their first match against South Africa on July 30.