The New Zealand women's cricket coach Haidee Tiffen admits the squads she's named to take on Australia are the toughest she's had to select.
White Ferns captain Suzie Bates. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Tiffin has named both ODI and T20 squads for the home and away series against Australia in February and March.
"Good players have missed out," said Tiffen, "because the competition for spots in our world class side is now more intense than ever. We have improved depth, so we have hard choices to make - and that is exactly the situation we want to be in building up to the ICC Women's World Cup 2017."
Omitted from the White Ferns squad that played Pakistan in November is off-spinner Morna Nielsen, pace bowler Hannah Rowe and top/middle-order batsman Samantha Curtis.
However, Tiffen says spots remain open for the team to the ICC Women's World Cup, and all three remain in contention.
"We have picked the ODI and T20 squads to play Australia on current form, our leading group of players having competed for limited spots via both our own domestic One-Day and T20 competitions and the WBBL 2017.
"We have seen some very special performances - from Amy Satterthwaite's hat-trick to Sophie Devine's fastest century, and it's been an added bonus for us having two WHITE FERNS in Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest captaining WBBL teams in high-intensity T20 cricket.
"I've watched every single delivery of the WBBL and it's been a timely insight. It has provided a litmus test for a number of our players against Australia's top cricketers whom we will be facing very soon in both the T20 and One-Day International formats."
There have been impressive performances in New Zealand's domestic action as well, including Erin Bermingham's unbeaten 125 off 112 balls, which helped the Canterbury Magicians break the New Zealand women's List A record for the fourth wicket; and Holly Huddleston's domestic career best of 3-13 for the Auckland Hearts at Eden Park Outer Oval countered by Sophie Devine's 44-ball 70 in the same match.
Otago Sparks off-spinner Leigh Kasperek returns to the White Ferns having recovered from the broken spinning finger that kept her from the team's successful series again South Africa and Pakistan earlier this season, while leg-spinner Bermingham has also recovered from a thumb fracture that kept her out of domestic action in January.
Sixteen-year-old leg-spinner Amelia Kerr meanwhile rejoins the squad for the home ODI Series after having made an impressive International debut against Pakistan in November.
The White Ferns head to Melbourne on 15 February for a three-match T20 International Series following the conclusion of the New Zealand women's domestic season Finals. They will play their opening match under the big lights at the MCG on 17 February, before heading to Geelong's Simonds Stadium and Adelaide Oval.
Both teams then fly across the Tasman to Auckland for a three-match ODI Series, the opening match at Eden Park on 26 February, followed by the final two ODIs at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval.
Schedule
WHITE FERNS T20 INTERNATIONAL SQUAD v AUSTRALIA
Suzie Bates (captain, Otago Sparks)
Erin Bermingham (Canterbury Magicians)
Sophie Devine (Wellington Blaze)
Maddy Green (Auckland Hearts)
Holly Huddleston (Auckland Hearts)
Leigh Kasperek (Otago Sparks)
Katey Martin (Otago Sparks)
Thamsyn Newton (Canterbury Magicians)
Katie Perkins (Auckland Hearts)
Liz Perry (Wellington Blaze)
Rachel Priest (Wellington Blaze)
Amy Satterthwaite (Canterbury Magicians)
Lea Tahuhu (Canterbury Magicians)
WHITE FERNS ODI SQUAD v AUSTRALIA
Suzie Bates (captain, Otago Sparks)
Erin Bermingham (Canterbury Magicians)
Sophie Devine (Wellington Blaze)
Maddy Green (Auckland Hearts)
Holly Huddleston (Auckland Hearts)
Leigh Kasperek (Otago Sparks)
Amelia Kerr (Wellington Blaze)
Katey Martin (Otago Sparks)
Thamsyn Newton (Canterbury Magicians)
Katie Perkins (Auckland Hearts)
Liz Perry (Wellington Blaze)
Rachel Priest (Wellington Blaze)
Amy Satterthwaite (Canterbury Magicians)
Lea Tahuhu (Canterbury Magicians)
