New Zealand pick Jonas, Plimmer and Gaze in Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup squad
The three players have a combined 46 caps worth of senior international experience
ESPNcricinfo staff
13-Dec-2022
Fran Jonas has played 21 games for the senior New Zealand side • Getty Images
New Zealand have included three players with senior caps - Fran Jonas, Georgia Plimmer and Isabella Gaze - in their squad for the inaugural Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, which is set to be played in South Africa in January 2023. All three were part of New Zealand's squad at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year, while Jonas and Plimmer also played in the 2022 ODI World Cup.
Left-arm spinner Jonas (9 ODIS and 12 T20Is), batter Plimmer (2 ODIs and 10 T20Is) and keeper Izzy Gaze (3 ODIs and 10 T20Is) have a combined 46 caps worth of senior international experience.
In picking these three, New Zealand have followed the example of India, who picked Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh in their squad for the Under-19 tournament. England, however, left out Freya Kemp and Alice Capsey, in order to manage their workloads given that the two players are also likely to be on the senior team's tour of the West Indies in December as well as take part in the senior Women's T20 World Cup, which takes place in February in South Africa.
The squad also includes a number of players who impressed on the just-concluded New Zealand Women's Development tour of India and the recent National Under-19 tournament.
Emma McLeod and Tash Wakelin topped the run-scoring charts at the National Under-19 tournament with 322 and 308 runs respectively across the T20 and one-day competitions, while Kate Chandler (255 runs and nine wickets) starred with both bat and ball for Wellington. Opener Izzy Sharp made the highest score in the T20 competition, 73 off 54 balls for Canterbury against Auckland.
Former New Zealand keeper Sara McGlashan will coach the side, with former Auckland allrounder Donovan Grobbelaar and former New Zealand legspinner Tarun Nethula assisting her.
An NZC release said a captain would be named in due course.
""I think we've got a strong squad for this World Cup with a nice mix of youth and experience," McGlashan said. "For many of the players, this will be their first time travelling overseas to play cricket, so they'll certainly benefit from the experience of Fran, Georgia and Izzy, the natural leaders in this group."
New Zealand squad for Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup: Olivia Anderson, Anna Browning, Kate Chandler, Natasha Codyre, Isabella Gaze, Antonia Hamilton, Abigail Hotton, Breearne Illing, Fran Jonas, Kayley Knight, Paige Loggenberg, Emma McLeod, Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Sharp, Tash Wakelin.