Tahuhu, like Satterthwaite, has lost his NZC contract

New Zealand Cricket has deleted veteran bowler Lea Tahuhu, among others, off the 2022-23 contract list, a day after the most-capped White Ferns’ player and former captain Amy Satterthwaite declared her international retirement following a national contract disappointment.

Six new names were added to the 17-member pool, while Katey Martin (who retired last week), Canterbury Magicians’ trio Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu, and Frankie Mackay, and Wellington Blaze duo Leigh Kasperek and Thamsyn Newton were left off the previous year’s roster. Fran Jonas, Molly Penfold, Izzy Gaze of Auckland Hearts, off-spinners Nensi Patel (Northern Brave) and Eden Carson (Otago Sparks), and batter Georgia Plimmer of Wellington Blaze are among the newcomers.

Bryan Stronach, the NZC’s GM of High-Performance Cricket, acknowledged the difficult decisions that had to be taken in putting up the contracts list, but said it wasn’t necessarily the end of the road for those who were ‘disappointed’ by it.

“They have given their all; they have made huge sacrifices, and we hold them in the highest regard,” he stated.

“It’s also crucial to note that just because someone hasn’t been offered a national contract doesn’t imply they can’t or won’t be chosen.” “This (national contracts) is about having on contract the players we’re most likely to deploy in the coming 12 months,” he explained.

“Choosing the final 17 players is never simple.

Young left-arm spinner Jonas (5 ODI caps) was a member of New Zealand’s home World Cup team, while Plimmer came in as a late injury replacement for Lauren Down.

“Both Fran Jonas and Molly Penfold have spent a significant amount of time with the group, and we hope they will continue to develop and grow in it.” Izzy Gaze joins Jess McFadyen as another option for wicket-keeping, and we expect the two to work together to strengthen their abilities.

“Georgia Plimmer was a late injury replacement in our World Cup squad last season, so has been around the group, while Nensi Patel and Eden Carson have both shone at the domestic level.”