A major blow has been dealt to the New Zealand Women cricket team as the reliable opener Suzie Bates will not be able to play until at least March. This is because she has a torn quadriceps. The 38-year-old batter of the White Ferns is going to be off the field for around three months.
Last month, the injury occurred to Bates when she was fielding in a match for Otago in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.
What at first was considered a common problem soon turned out to be serious when scans revealed a great tear in her quadriceps. The doctors have said that the rest of the domestic season will be without her.
Suzie Bates three-month injury layoff
Thus, Suzie Bates will not be playing for Otago Sparks at home, including the Super Smash, a tournament she was particularly looking forward to.
More than that, she will not be available for the New Zealand home series against Zimbabwe, which will start in late February.
The White Ferns are to play Zimbabwe in a series of one ODI and Twenty20 matches on February 25 in Hamilton, but they will have to do it without their most experienced player.
The news was a disappointment to Suzie Bates but she kept her focus on the recovery process she admitted. She made it clear that her main goal is to be fit in time for the New Zealand tour of South Africa in March.
“I’m devastated that I won’t be able to play this summer, I was very eager to have another season with the Sparks, especially the Super Smash. I’m determined to get back on the field with the White Ferns in March so that’ll be my focus for now,” Bates stated.
Should her rehabilitation proceed as it should, Bates will be in the South Africa tour, where New Zealand will participate in both T20I and ODI series, which will be very soon.
That tour will be significant for the White Ferns as it will be the beginning of their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is only six months away.
Suzie Bates was a hero in the World Cup
Interestingly, Suzie Bates’ international career was cut short in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
It was a very challenging event for her and the whole team together, as New Zealand ended up at the sixth position with only one win out of seven matches. For Bates too, it was not a good showing, scoring only 40 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 61.53.
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