New Zealand legend Bates to retire after 2026 T20 World Cup

[p]The record-breaking 38-year-old confirmed on Friday she will retire after ‌20 years at the highest level.[/p][p]If [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bates-suzie/vcBlBZIP/"]Bates[/a] has her ‌way, she will bow out with back-to-back T20 World Cup titles, ‌having celebrated a long-awaited maiden championship in the United ‌Arab Emirates two years ago.[/p][p]"[b]When I look back on the past 20-plus years, I can’t quite believe how quickly the time has gone,[/b]" she ‌said in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/6L5RoIh0/"]New Zealand[/a] Cricket statement.[/p][p]"I'm ⁠immensely proud to have ‌worn the fern so many times, and I’ve been filled with enormous ​purpose and joy in striving each day to be a better person, teammate, cricketer, and athlete for this ​team.[/p][p]"[b]Words can’t truly express my gratitude to all my teammates and coaches along the way. I have one final mission: to ⁠head to the UK - ​a place that holds so many special memories for me - and win another World Cup.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="038848de-8908-4038-8618-d30dbaa76e60" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZWEGtEttKg" social-type="youtube" /][p]The right-handed opening batter has represented the White Ferns 362 times across both ODIs and T20Is, making ‌her the most capped female international in history.[/p][p]The first woman to score 25,000 runs in all formats, she is the all-time leading run-scorer in women's T20Is (4,717) and has the highest number of catches in women's ODIs (93) and T20Is (96).[/p][p]Bates made her domestic debut for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/otago-sparks/U3VUlVVN/"]Otago Sparks[/a] as a 15-year-old in 2003, with her international debut following three years later. She was appointed New Zealand captain in 2011, leading the Ferns in 151 ‌matches.[/p][p]A multi-sport talent, Bates also represented New Zealand in basketball ​at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[/p][p]"[b]Suzie really is one of ‌the greatest cricketers of all time,[/b]" current skipper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kerr-amelia/CYiOOqLn/"]Amelia Kerr[/a] said.[/p][p]"Growing up, Suzie was my role model .... Her record speaks for itself.[/p][p]"[b]She’ll be hugely missed in the White Ferns whānau[/b] (family), [b]but I know she’s still got a bit ⁠more left in the ⁠tank.[/b]"[/p][p]The Women's T20 World Cup ‌starts on June 12.[/p][embed guid="30c40714-f369-4934-a76e-f4081e836dc7" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fEAl6Qakz4" social-type="youtube" /]