White Ferns captain Sophie Devine will miss the start of the Super Smash season for an enforced "wellbeing break", New Zealand Cricket announced.
NZC, in conjunction with Cricket Wellington, said in a statement this afternoon a call had been made to give Devine time off following "a heavy workload over the past 12 months".
Devine will be unavailable for the Blaze for the first half of the campaign to allow her time to rest and freshen up, before a decision is made on her involvement in the remainder of the tournament.
The 34-year-old missed the recent T20 dead rubber against Pakistan due to a Cortisone injection in her knee but came back strong in the ODI series, taking wickets in each of the three matches and delivering a game-winning 70-run knock in the first match in Queenstown.
But despite her form, NZC Head of Women’s High Performance Liz Green said the player’s wellbeing had to be put first and tough calls were needed.
“Our players’ mental and physical wellbeing is always our number one priority and it’s clear Sophie simply needs a break,” said Green.
“2024 is shaping as another big year for the White Ferns with England arriving later in the summer and the ICC T20 World Cup on the horizon.
“Sophie’s understandably disappointed but we’re adamant she needs this break to re-charge her batteries and be well-prepared for the upcoming challenges.”
The Wellington Blaze and Firebirds open their Super Smash campaigns at home on Thursday at the Basin Reserve against the Otago Sparks and Volts.
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