‘We can work harder and that’s our job’ – Amelia Kerr expects NZC deal to change the game for women

“For a while, we have had half the team full-time professionals, and half balancing cricket and work. To have everyone as full-time professionals allows us to invest more in our cricket and that’s so important,” Kerr said during New Zealand’s camp ahead of the tour of Sri Lanka. “We want to perform and the only way to get better is if we can train every day and put our focus into that.

“It is good to have balance outside of it. Having full-time professional athletes means we can work harder and that’s our job – we turn up every day and that’s what we are meant to do.”

“How many people we were playing in front of was pretty incredible”

Amelia Kerr on the WPL experience

Before that, Kerr had been on the road for large parts. She was part of New Zealand’s bronze-medal finish at the Commonwealth Games last August, which was followed by stints in the Hundred and the WBBL. She also toured West Indies, played Bangladesh at home and then the T20 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year before the WPL.

“I am not one to always take that break, but it was a pretty full-on year last year,” Kerr said. “To be a part of the WPL and playing there and to see how much they love cricket over in India, the crowd… how many people we were playing in front of was pretty incredible and an amazing tournament to be a part of. The passion and love India has and going over there to play cricket is one of the best experiences you will get.”

“To play alongside them and to see how they go about their business and how they train and prepare are all valuable learning experiences for me. [It is] also nice to play with a group of different people as well and learn how to connect and gel with not much time before you are into game one.”

“The WPL is a valuable tournament and it’s also life-changing,” she said. “It’s only going to improve women’s cricket around the world. It’s nice to have opportunities around the world to grow your game.

“It’s all quite confronting – your value is determined by someone else and what your worth [is]. At the end of the day, it’s just an opinion and you’ve got to know what you think of yourself as a cricketer. The most important thing is how you are as a person is pretty subjective. It’s someone else’s opinion and doesn’t define you. You can go out there and do your best to prove people wrong.”