Sophie Devine takes immediate break from cricket to prioritise wellbeing

White Ferns one-day international captain Sophie Devine will take an immediate break from cricket to prioritise her wellbeing.

Devine, 35, will play no part in the upcoming Women’s Premier League in India, where she was expected to feature heavily for Royal Challengers Bangalore. She will also play no further part in the women’s Super Smash for the Wellington Blaze.

Official communications from New Zealand Cricket advise Devine will return home, with an announcement on her playing future to come in due course.

Should Devine call time on her career, she would finish having played close to 300 internationals for New Zealand, with 152 ODIs and 143 T20 internationals.

In 50-over cricket, Devine has scored 3990 runs at an average just shy of 32, with eight centuries, and taken 107 wickets at an average of just under 36.

In the shortest format, Devine has scored 3391 runs with one century, and taken 117 wickets at an average of exactly 19.

Devine’s move comes with the full backing of NZ Cricket.

“Player wellbeing is paramount to us – it takes precedence over everything else,” said NZ Cricket women’s high-performance development head Liz Green.

“Sophie’s had excellent support from the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association and from our own high-performance unit staff, and everyone agrees this is the best option available.

“The most important thing for NZC is that Sophie has a decent break, receives good support and care, and is fit and well before returning to professional cricket.”

Devine also stepped away from cricket for a mental health break in 2021, and was out of the sport entirely for two months to concentrate on her wellbeing.

That came as part of a wave of female athletes taking time away, including Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Devine’s White Ferns teammates Amelia Kerr and Lauren Down.

The move comes after Devine stood down from the White Ferns’ Twenty20 captaincy after last year’s World Cup victory in the UAE. No official replacement has been named by NZ Cricket yet.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission