Ben Sawyer leaves New Zealand women’s head coach role after review

New Zealand women’s cricket team head coach Ben Sawyer has left his position after serving for four years at the helm. Sawyer’s contract, which was supposed to run till December 2026, was not renewed after a review process of the women's high-performance structure.

As he left his role, Sawyer looked back on his tenure and called coaching New Zealand a huge honour. However, he expressed his disappointment at not being able to continue in his role and wished good luck to the team.

"Being the White Ferns coach has been a huge honour, and I'm really grateful to have had the opportunity to lead this group. This team means a lot to me, and I'm really proud of what we've been able to achieve in the past four years. Although I'm disappointed to be leaving, I want to wish the team and NZC [New Zealand Cricket] all the best,” Sawyer said in a statement.

Sawyer was first appointed in June 2022 and oversaw a successful tenure. Under him, New Zealand won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, 2022. He also guided the team to their maiden T20 World Cup triumph in Dubai in 2024. 

However, the White Ferns failed to replicate their success in the recent edition of the tournament in the UK, crashing out in the group stage itself after winning just two of their five games.

Amelia Kerr extols Sawyer

New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr, who took over the leadership role under Sawyer, hailed him for ‘putting his heart and soul’ into the team, which eventually led to the World Cup victory.

"We're hugely grateful for Ben and everything he's put into this team. His preparation was second to none; he poured his heart and soul into the role and left no stone unturned trying to make the team better. Ben played a huge part in a defining moment for women's cricket in New Zealand. He showed a belief in us that helped propel the team to World Cup victory after a difficult few months, and that's a testament to his character and leadership,” Kerr said.

New Zealand's next assignment will be a three-match T20I series in Australia, beginning on October 18. An interim head coach and team manager will travel with the team for the series, and the squad will be named in early October, while New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will also begin the process to recruit Sawyer's full-time successor shortly.