White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine is spending some time within the inner sanctum of the Black Caps camp this week, with the hope of picking up some secrets to success.
Devine and the White Ferns are under pressure to rediscover some form when they face Australia in the coming weeks, following a disappointing whitewash loss to England earlier this month.
"We need to be consistently better for longer periods of time," Devine said.
"We showed glimpses, but it's not enough when you're playing against the world's best teams."
Devine's own position as captain has also come under scrutiny, with former White Fern Kirsty Bond going as far as proposing a leadership overhaul.
"We actually need to be bold. You know, maybe we need to look at the change of captain? Because I know Sophie's really struggled with her performances since she took over the captaincy," Bond said.
There is no doubt Devine struggled against England.
The opening batter scored just 47 runs across six ODIs and T20s as the White Ferns were crushed by the touring side, and Bond believed there needed to be some urgency as the team prepared to host the World Cup next year.
"Maybe we need to look at Amelia Kerr for that role, in the hope that we can turn things around prior to the World Cup next year," Bond said.
"Because it's really critical that actually the White Ferns do well at this World Cup, given that it's a home World Cup. People aren't going to come to watch if we're performing poorly."
But Devine remains adamant she is the right woman for the job.
"People are entitled to their opinions, aren't they? I know that inside the group we're working extremely hard. I know that my performances haven't been up to scratch in the last series, but look, I more than back myself in terms of leading this team at this moment. And if that's not to be the case then I'll leave that to the powers that be," Devine said.
The White Ferns will play three T20s and three ODIs against the number one ranked Australians, the first T20 on Sunday, part of a double-header with the Black Caps T20 against Bangladesh.
Sunday’s double-header will also be the first time the White Ferns feature on TVNZ1, in the prime-time slot of 7.10pm.
Devine is excited at the prospect of the prime-time billing and has expressed a deep desire for improvement on the park.
“We are motivated and keen to put on a good show for our fans,” she said.
“To be playing on free-to-air TV on a Sunday night is a big step forward for the women’s game. We know thousands of new fans will see us play for the very first time.”
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