Bernadine Bezuidenhout, the wicketkeeper for New Zealand, has declared her retirement from international cricket. Before playing for New Zealand in 16 ODIs and 22 T20Is, she played four ODIs and seven T20Is for South Africa.
In a statement released by New Zealand Cricket, Bezuidenhout remarked, “It’s been such a great ride.”
“I have the most beautiful memories from my time spent playing with the White Ferns, which has been an enormous honour and privilege. I’ve learned so much from the trip, and I will always be appreciative to everyone who has shared my route.”
In 2014, Bezuidenhout made her debut abroad for South Africa. She moved to Christchurch in 2015, and in August 2017, following the end of a two-year residential stand-down, she was initially selected for New Zealand. Later that year, she participated in the T20 World Cup, which New Zealand lost in the league stage.
After receiving a RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) diagnosis, Bezuidenhout missed two years of competition before returning to the pitch to represent New Zealand in the 2023 T20 World Cup. She is the founder of The EPIC Sports Project Charitable Trust, a non-profit social enterprise that uses sport to break down obstacles to sport participation and provide young people in high-deprivation communities a sense of hope and belonging.
Bezuidenhout stated, “I’m at peace with this decision, but it wasn’t easy 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.”
Prior to being sidelined for the last ODI of the season due to a hamstring injury, Bezuidenhout participated in five of New Zealand’s six white-ball matches against England played at home this year.
New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said, “I want to thank Bernie for the contributions she’s made to the White Ferns on the pitch, and for the caring qualities she brought to the group off the pitch.” “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.”
Bezuidenhout will carry on with Northern Districts in domestic cricket.