New Zealand Cricket named former English first-class cricketer Bob Carter as the head coach of the women’s senior team on Friday, September 6. Carter has previously served as assistant coach of the men’s team, and will now majorly focus on preparing the team for the T20 World Cup, which begins in February 2020.

Congratulations to Bob Carter on being appointed head coach of the @WHITE_FERNS. Bob has previously had two stints as a BLACKCAPS assistant coach ✍?| https://t.co/R6sbbgFqxG #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/dX3fyBVGQt

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) September 6, 2019

The former Northamptonshire looked forward to the responsibility and praised the current pool of talent.

“I see a lot of potential in this particular group of cricketers,” Carter said. “We have a good blend of youth and experience that we can build from, and I feel very positive about this next chapter of White Ferns cricket.

“It’s an exciting time to come on board, with two big world tournaments on the horizon. We have a number of senior players who have been performing at the top of the international game and remain committed to working hard in bringing success. With two ICC World Cups coming up and the women’s game growing at all levels, it’s a great time to be involved.”

Carter replaces Haidee Tiffen, who had stepped down after New Zealand’s unsuccessful campaign at the T20 World Cup in 2018 and didn’t reapply for the position.

Carter had coached the team in an interim capacity during their tour of Australia earlier this year and has now been contracted until the end of the 2021 Women’s World Cup.

“We’re delighted to have Bob signed on and working with our top female cricketers,” Bryan Stronach, NZC’s head of high performance, said. “The recent Women’s MOU has been a good development for the women’s game, but with the added funding and support, comes an added professional responsibility. The players have endorsed Bob as a coach and enjoyed working with him in Australia.”