New Zealand wicketkeeper Bernadine Bezuidenhout has announced her retirement from international cricket. Bezuidenhout, who initially played for South Africa before representing New Zealand, had a career spanning multiple formats. She played four ODIs and seven T20Is for South Africa and later featured in 16 ODIs and 22 T20Is for New Zealand.
Reflecting on her career, Bezuidenhout said in a statement from New Zealand Cricket, “It’s been such a great ride. Playing for the White Ferns has been a huge privilege and honor, and it’s left me with the fondest memories. The journey has taught me so much, and I’ll be forever grateful to everyone who has been on the path with me.”
Bezuidenhout made her international debut for South Africa in 2014. After relocating to Christchurch in 2015, she became eligible to play for New Zealand in 2018, following a two-year residential stand-down period that ended in August 2017. She participated in the T20 World Cup that year, where the league stage saw New Zealand eliminated.
A significant challenge emerged in her career when a diagnosis of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) caused her to miss two years of cricket. She made a comeback for New Zealand in the T20 World Cup in 2023. During her time away from the game, she founded The EPIC Sports Project Charitable Trust, a non-profit organization aimed at using sports to inspire hope and belonging among young people in high-deprivation communities.
Regarding her retirement, Bezuidenhout stated, “I’m at peace with this decision, but it wasn’t an easy one to make. I’ve struggled to find a balance between my work and playing career for a while now, and after a lot of thought and reflection, I feel that it’s the right time to pivot and put my full focus on The EPIC Sports Project.”
Bezuidenhout recently played in five of New Zealand’s six white-ball games against England before a hamstring injury sidelined her in the final ODI.
New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer praised her contributions, saying, “I want to thank Bernie for the contributions she made to the White Ferns on the field and for the caring qualities she brought to the group off the field.” We’re proud of the work that Bernie does outside of cricket, and I have no doubt she’ll continue to make a positive impact on the lives of many.”
Although retiring from international cricket, Bezuidenhout will continue to play domestic cricket for Northern Districts.
Leave a Reply