Suzie Bates on coaching: 'That is where my passion is'

10:12 am today

Suzie Bates of New Zealand Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

White Ferns batter Suzie Bates is about to compete in her sixth and possibly last World Cup.

The 38-year-old occasionally thinks about life after she shelves the bat, but that won't mean a move away from the game she loves.

Bates can see herself moving into coaching.

"That is definitely where my passion is in the game," she told RNZ.

After making her Otago debut as a 15-year-old schoolgirl, Bates has gone on to play 171 ODIs and 177 T20 internationals.

She is now surrounded by youngsters at Otago and within the New Zealand team, some of them half her age.

Bates now focuses much of her time on offering support to younger players.

"When I was growing up fortunately or unfortunately there were a lot of male coaches that I confided with in my game.

"I had Warren Lees, Mike Shrimpton and the likes that were my mentors and I didn't really have female role models or coaches in the game."

Bates realises that those men were essentially volunteers, but fortunately times have changed.

"It can now be a career and something I'm really passionate about.

"To see players working hard to be the best they can be does motivate me because I look back on my career in cricket and basketball I was fortunate to have good people around me.

"It's the reason I've been able to keep doing what I'm doing so that's the path that excites me the most."

Bates admits her recent stint playing for Durham in England gave her the opportunity to see how their environment is run and learning from their coaches.

"Hopefully it's not too soon but eventually that might be where I give back to the game."

Suzie Bates of New Zealand speaks with Paul Wiseman of NZ Cricket and New Zealand White Ferns coach Ben Sawyer. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

Over the years Bates has completed the first two of three coaching levels run by New Zealand Cricket.

"As soon as I do decide to hang up the spikes, I have to make sure I have all those credentials and I've got plenty of contacts around the world."

While there may be some opportunities overseas Bates admits she is a home body and would like to base herself here.

After winning the T20 World Cup in 2024, the White Ferns are chasing another title in the (50-over) World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in October.

Success there may see Bates stay on for a while yet and Otago can expect to have her pad up for another few years.

Suzie Bates stats

ODIs: 171 games, 5896 runs (third all-time), 13 centuries, high score 168

T20s: 177 games, 4716 runs (most all-time), 1 century, high score 124*

White Ferns World Cup round-robin games

Wed 1 Oct v Australia, Indore - 10:30pm

Mon 6 Oct v South Africa, Indore - 10:30pm

Fri 10 Oct v Bangladesh, Guwahati - 10:30pm