Former New Zealand cricketer Craig McMillan has been appointed as the new full-time assistant coach for the White Ferns ahead of the 2025 ODI World Cup. His tenure will begin from this week itself and he will be working alongside head coach Ben Sawyer. McMillan, who formerly was the Black Caps' batting coach and had also spent a significant amount of time as a commentator, is now set to fully commit his time for the women's team.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced in a statement on Tuesday that McMillan is set to take over as the White Ferns' assistant coach. McMillan's first major assignment with the team will be the ODI World Cup which is all set to commence from September 30. Notably, he was a part of the team management when the women's team had won the T20 World Cup last year.
In a statement, McMillan expressed his excitement over the new role and remarked that multiple training camps have already been conducted as the New Zealand women's team prepares for the World Cup.
“I’m over the moon to be in this role with the White Ferns. The women’s game is going from strength to strength, and I’m excited to continue to work with our talented players and help them reach their goals. The last year has gone so quickly, and I’ve loved every minute of being part of a team that continues to improve, challenge one another, and does special things on the world stage," McMillan said in a statement released by NZC.
“It’s been a busy period leading into the 50-over World Cup. We’ve had a number of camps, including one in Chennai, which exposed the players to Indian conditions like what they’ll face in October-November. The team is pumped to get back to India and take on another World Cup," he added.
Meanwhile, the Women's ODI World Cup 2025 will begin from September 30 and will go on till November 2. It will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. New Zealand, who are yet to announce the squad for the major tournament, will be kicking-off their campaign with a clash against reigning champions Australia on October 1.
New Zealand won the World Cup back in 2000
Notably, the White Ferns have won 1 out of the 12 editions of the competition that have so far been contested. They are one of the three teams to have won the tournbament atleast once. The other two sides are England (4-time champions) and Australia (7-time champions).