Widely regarded as the greatest WHITE FERNS player of all-time, batting all-rounder Suzie Bates began her international cricket career in 2006.
One of the world's most recognised female cricketers she was crowned the ICC ODI and T20l Player of the Year for 2016 and was named by Wisden as the leading female cricketer in the world in 2015.
Bates was WHITE FERNS captain for almost seven years before stepping down from the role in 2018. In her time in charge she lead the team to multiple finals in ICC tournaments.
Bates has ticked off international runs records in all facets of the game, most notably she is the all-time women's T20 run-scorer and became the first player ever to reach 1000 T20 World Cup runs during the 2023 tournament in South Africa.
A seemingly ever-present leader in the WHITE FERNS environment, she was part of the squad for the home World Cup in 2022 and was a key member of the squad that claimed a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
A batting all-rounder, Bates offered a medium pace option with the ball for the majority of her career before sustaining a shoulder injury during the 2020 WBBL season which ruled her out of cricket for 12 months. Since returning to cricket, Bates has reinvented her bowling skillset as an off spin bowler.
The proud Otago Spark also plies her trade in T20 leagues around the world, having represented the Adelaide Strikers and, more recently, the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL, the Southern Vipers in the English Kia Super League, and the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred.
Bates has also represented New Zealand at basketball at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
