Amelia Kerr Appointed All-Format Captain for New Zealand Women's Cricket Team
Amelia Kerr Appointed All-Format Captain for New Zealand Women's Cricket Team
Amelia Kerr has been officially named the new all-format captain of the New Zealand women's cricket team, taking over from Sophie Devine who stepped down after the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 in October. The 25-year-old Kerr, with 172 international appearances under her belt, will lead both the ODI and T20I sides on a full-time basis. This marks a significant milestone for Kerr, who has previously captained the team in two ODIs and two T20Is.
Kerr's appointment comes at the cusp of an action-packed three-year cycle for the White Ferns, including defending their T20 World Cup title in England later this year, the ICC T20 Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka in 2027, and the Los Angeles Olympics along with the T20 World Cup in 2028.
Expressing her excitement, Kerr said in a New Zealand Cricket release, "Growing up it was my childhood dream to represent New Zealand and to now have the opportunity to captain my country is a massive privilege." She added, "I'm really excited by the growth, the talent and the dedication of this group and the potential of what we can achieve and where we can go together."
Acknowledging her predecessors, Kerr noted, "I am following an exceptional group of leaders who have captained the White Ferns before me, so I don't take the responsibility lightly. I have so much love for this group and so much passion for representing Aotearoa. The captaincy doesn't change who I am, I am still the same person and will give everything I can to lead this group and hopefully bring our country success."
Since her debut in 2016 at just 16 years old, Kerr has amassed 3,757 runs and taken 201 wickets across all formats, establishing herself as New Zealand's third-highest wicket-taker and fifth-highest run-scorer. Her standout performances include being named Player of the Tournament in the triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup campaign and later winning the ICC Women's Player of the Year award, the first for a New Zealander, securing the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy.
Kerr emphasized a people-first leadership approach, quoting, "One of my favourite quotes is: 'He aha te mea nui o te ao? He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata.' We are people first. As a group we look out for each other, we celebrate each other's success and we represent our people. Encouraging others and building belief around us so we can all be the best we can be both as people and as cricketers."
Head coach Ben Sawyer praised the appointment, stating, "She's an outstanding leader not only through her performances on the field, but also in the respect she has from the playing group off it." He highlighted Kerr's understanding of the game and her experience leading the Wellington Blaze for three years, adding, "We believe leading the White Ferns can take Melie's game to the next level and know she's ready to step up and lead this team forward."
Sawyer also underscored the strategic aspect, saying, "Melie leading this team at this stage of her career ensures we have continuity and stability through the next cycle to 2029."
Kerr's captaincy tenure will kick off with the home T20I and ODI series against Zimbabwe later this month, starting with the three-match T20I series at Seddon Park on February 25.