'You see the game growing around you and the fear of being left behind drives you on'
Thursday 28 June 2018 06:51, UK
New Zealand Women's captain Suzie Bates talks to Kalika Mehta about how her game has evolved to keep pace with modern-day cricket, the challenges of captaincy and the White Ferns' quest for a World Cup crown...
"It would have been nice if it had lasted 24 hours," quips Suzie Bates, even before we have had the chance to sit down.
The New Zealand captain was referring to the Women's T20I record score of 216-1 the White Ferns had set in the early afternoon on Wednesday, June 20, only to see England smash it a mere three hours later.
It quickly becomes clear that any disappointment was momentary for Bates, having begun her international career over 12 years ago, as she reflected the results continue to show that women's cricket is on the rise - on and off the pitch.
Having showcased her immense power and ability to find the boundary anywhere around the ground, Bates admitted keeping up with the younger players was a driving force behind an adaptation in how she plays.
"You see the game growing around you and it's the fear of being left behind," she explained.
"You have been playing cricket for so long but the game is still progressing and you've got to progress with it otherwise it won't be long before there'll be a new player that will take over.
"It's exciting because you are challenged and it's made me better because everyone else is getting better.
"In the last 12 months while playing in the Women's Big Bash and Kia Super League, I found that I was a bit limited at times on wickets that were hard and fast if teams could bowl to a plan and stick with a field.
"By watching others and how they go about their game - like Beth Mooney in the Big Bash just picked the gap and hit it there no matter where you bowled - drives you to be better."
The 2000 World Cup, where New Zealand triumphed on home soil, was an eye-opening experience for the then 13-year-old, who remembers seeing female cricketers on the television for the first time.
Also a talented basketball player - she would go on to represent New Zealand in the 2008 Beijing Olympics - and looking towards a move to America after high school for a four-year university programme, she was ushered into the White Ferns set-up.
Having initially felt out of place in the squad, it took just two innings to show she was at home - hitting 69 off only 77 balls in a win over India in March 2006.
Despite scoring her first ODI century just six matches later, Bates did not always see a career in cricket.
"I didn't play cricket thinking I wanted to make a living out it," she says. "My thought was I am going to do this for as long as I can until I have to actually be an adult and get a real job.
"I didn't plan to play for this long but as soon as we became professional I knew there was nothing else I wanted to be doing.
"When we started it was everyone's hobby, they were really committed to it, but we didn't train together as much or tour as much. It was the way it was and you tried to be the best you could in that environment."
In June 2011, Bates was offered the captaincy and after taking time to think about what it would mean for her, she accepted.
Though she had not previously had ambitions to lead to the national team, having taken on the mantel she believed leading by example was her best way forward.
For the batting all-rounder, it meant scoring runs and training hard to help a talented side move forwards.
The added pressure of leading the national side enhanced Bates' batting rather than hinder it, as she was named Player of the Tournament at the 2013 World Cup after scoring 407 runs across seven innings, 93 runs more than second-placed Stafanie Taylor.
Later that year she was named the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year and in 2015 was crowned Wisden's Leading Women's Cricketer in the World, after averaging 129 in the White Ferns' five-match 50-over series against Sri Lanka.
"I have learnt so much since becoming captain," Bates explains. "I am still learning tactically as a captain but when I look back the captaincy really helped my game.
"It helped me learn about field settings for when I was batting so I developed a lot better.
"I took more responsibility batting, which sometimes held me back too with my power game, but I've learned that whatever is required at the time I have that in my toolbox.
"I became more of a full-time cricketer when I became captain even though my payment didn't reflect that, that's how it felt.
"Now I have a really good group of leaders around me, so the responsibility is really well shared."
Since being awarded one of the inaugural female contracts by New Zealand in April 2013, Bates passed milestone after milestone.
In the southern hemisphere side's recent one-day whitewash against Ireland, where New Zealand scored over 400 in all three matches, the Dunedin born player became her countries leading ODI run-scorer.
During the White Ferns' brief record-breaking T20I score against South Africa, the 30-year-old hit her maiden 20-over century and overtook former England captain Charlotte Edwards to become the highest scoring women's player in the shortest format of the game.
"When I got to 80, it crossed my mind 'oh I know I haven't scored [a T20I hundred], but then there was a point when I knew how good the wicket was and I didn't want to waste any balls getting to that 100.
"So I thought about it and I was like I don't need to thinking about the 100 today I just have to score as many runs as I can because this is such a good wicket.
"It let it just happen rather than forcing it and on reflection that really is how every batter should bat.
"Those three figures sometimes become important but it takes away from what the teams needs.
"[Knowing that] also comes with experience because you realise that those milestones are nice but they're not what's important."
Bates believes that T20 cricket has ushered in an unselfish attitude of playing that has been aided by how much cricket is being played now - and has called for her side to play without fear.
Although she accepts for younger players, and batters in particular, the desire to put scoring individual runs over the team is natural in a fight to retain their places in the side, the Southern Vipers player believes maturity has helped her develop a different mindset.
With statistics, the backbone of how cricket is assessed by players, management, the media and spectators, Bates feels it can work against the team dynamic as it pulls into focus of what the side really require.
"The more we can talk about the important innings that win us matches than milestones, the better for our group," she says.
"It's a difficult mantra to get through to the team because you do want to celebrate milestones but just try not to put the individual's performance before the team.
"T20 cricket has promoted that selfless cricket because it is just about scoring as many runs as you can off every ball.
"You can talk about playing fearless cricket, but until you actually do it in the middle it means nothing. Sophie (Devine) and I have to play like that to set the tone and Sophie plays like that.
"She's inspired me that it is way we need to go about our cricket and that gives confidence to the rest of our batting order.
"We can't fear getting out, we have to play our shots and that's something we have talked about in the past and have now started to show on the pitch."
Despite having achieved almost everything she could during her career, Bates and her teammates - seen by many as one of the most talented teams in cricket - remain in search of a World Cup crown - in either 50-over or 20-over cricket.
With a home 50-over World Cup just three years away, she has one eye on the future.
"I would find it difficult if I am fit and healthy to be watching the 2021 World Cup on the sofa," Bates said with a smile on her face.
"It is in the back of my mind but as you get older you have a bit of perspective and anything can happen.
"If I am fit, healthy and enjoying my cricket I'll be there. I've learnt not to make plans because you're not always in control of them."
Watch New Zealand take on South Africa from 12.55pm on Thursday before the White Ferns take on England - also live on Sky Sports Cricket - from 5.30pm.
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