New Zealand wicketkeeper Bernadine Bezuidenhout hangs up her international boots

Bernadine Bezuidenhout creams one through cover, Feb 19, 2023•AFP/Getty Images

Heads up, cricket fans! New Zealand's wicket-keeping star Bernadine Bezuidenhout has decided to call it a quits on international cricket.

Bezuidenhout, who played for both South Africa and the White Ferns (fun fact: that's a pretty rare thing!), is trading in her bat and gloves for full-time work with her charity, The EPIC Sports Project. This project uses sports to help young people in tough communities, which is pretty awesome!

"It's been a blast!" Bezuidenhout said about her international career. "Playing for the White Ferns has been a huge honor, and I've made some amazing memories along the way. But after a lot of thinking, I realized it's time to focus all my energy on The EPIC Sports Project."

While she's stepping away from the international scene, Bezuidenhout isn't done with cricket entirely. She'll still be playing for her local team, the Northern Districts, so you might still catch her behind the stumps there.

The White Ferns' coach, Ben Sawyer, is sad to see Bezuidenhout go, but totally supports her decision. "We're proud of Bernie for everything she's done, both on and off the field. We know she'll keep doing great things with her charity."

So, that's it! Big thanks to Bernadine Bezuidenhout for all her wicket-keeping magic with the White Ferns, and good luck with The EPIC Sports Project!

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IMAGE - Espncricinfo