Craig McMillan takes up full-time coaching role with New Zealand Women

New Zealand have bolstered their coaching ranks ahead of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup by appointing former Black Caps all-rounder Craig McMillan as assistant coach on a full-time basis. The 48-year-old returns after spending the past year with the White Ferns in a part-time capacity, a spell that included their victorious Women's T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE. He will continue to oversee batting and fielding duties under head coach Ben Sawyer, with his new role commencing this week.

The move means McMillan will step away from media work and other coaching commitments around the world, but he insisted the opportunity was too good to turn down. "I'm over the moon to be in this role with the White Ferns," said McMillan. "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 also emphasised that preparations are well underway as New Zealand chases its first 50-over World Cup title since 2000. The White Ferns staged a training camp in Chennai last month to familiarise themselves with spin-friendly Indian conditions ahead of the October-November tournament.

"It's been a busy period leading into the 50-over World Cup," McMillan added. "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."

New Zealand begin their campaign against defending champions Australia on 1 October in Indore. The eight-team competition carries a record prize fund of US$13.88 million - a 297 per cent increase from the US$3.5 million offered at the previous edition hosted in New Zealand in 2022.

With McMillan on board full-time, the White Ferns will hope his experience and continuity provide the edge as they push for a long-awaited second World Cup crown.