New Zealand landed in Dubai earlier this week, where they will also play two unofficial warm-up games against England. For Bates and her teammates, the return to the city brought back fond memories of their maiden ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup title last year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe have loved coming back here after almost 12 months,\u201d Bates told ICC Digital. \u201cReminiscing on those last 12 months and that really special time for a lot of this group. There\u2019s a few new faces here now, so we\u2019ve joked about if we win this World Cup, maybe we\u2019ll have to come back to Dubai and celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
For Bates, now 38, this tournament will mark her fifth World Cup appearance since making her debut at the 2009 edition in Australia. She joins an elite list of players to feature in five consecutive tournaments, alongside teammate Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry (Australia), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), and Harmanpreet Kaur (India).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThese events are the pinnacle for me,\u201d Bates said. \u201cI feel like each World Cup was a different phase of my career, coming on so naive to the first one in 2009 as an 18 or 19-year-old and not really knowing what to expect, to now the game having evolved so much and every team coming, believing they can win the tournament and putting together really competitive sides.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe promotion of the game is now fully professional, but it was very amateur back in 2009. I\u2019ve been captain, I\u2019ve been not captain, and it has brought a different challenge. They all kind of merged together and you sort of look back and you can\u2019t quite believe how quickly it\u2019s gone. But this one is going to be one of the most competitive ones I think I\u2019ve played at.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Bates acknowledged that much would depend on her and Devine, but expressed excitement at the next generation of New Zealand players.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEden Carson was outstanding at the T20 World Cup and she\u2019s such a young player still, Georgia Plimmer had a really great tournament and led from the front with the bat and we\u2019ve got a really exciting prospect with left-armer Bree Illing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t had a left-arm seamer in the New Zealand side since Sian Ruck and that was a long time ago. So it\u2019s going to be exciting to see her let the ball fly and swing the ball. And we\u2019ve also got a very talented all-rounder in Flora Devonshire.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEden Carson was outstanding at the T20 World Cup and she\u2019s such a young player still, Georgia Plimmer had a really great tournament and led from the front with the bat and we\u2019ve got a really exciting prospect with left-armer Bree Illing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
New Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Lea Tahuhu.<\/p>\r\n\r\n