New Zealand wicketkeeper opens up on her cricketing journey and the desire to play long enough to push Bates and Devine’s record World Cup appearances
Shashank Kishore07-Oct-2024Isabella Gaze, 20, remembers meeting Suzie Bates at a school event back in Auckland as a teenager. Gaze can’t quite recall the year, but remembers Bates, New Zealand’s captain at the time, encouraging kids to take up sport which would one day take them to the Olympics or a World Cup.When Gaze debuted for New Zealand in 2022, she gleefully reminded Bates of her words and shared a picture of the two from the event. They’re team-mates now, at Gaze’s first World Cup, in UAE.”It’s surreal to be thinking I’m now playing with Suzie and Sophie [Devine] at a World Cup,” Gaze told ESPNcricinfo. “I can’t really remember the exact moment, but when I first met them, they were both very welcoming and definitely not as scary as they might come across [laughs].Related
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“They showed what it’s like to be a professional athlete. If you train hard, you earn some respect on that aspect. So, I think their being really friendly was really helpful and I felt really comfortable within the team when I first joined.”And now getting to play with them, me in my first World Cup, I’m not just looking forward to this one, but many more. I’ve got plenty to look forward to, for me to be able to potentially push towards their record of nine [World Cup appearances].”Isabella Gaze, in her early teens, with Suzie Bates at a school event•Isabella GazeEarlier this year, Gaze struck her maiden half-century against England. Incredibly, it was her first in any form of cricket – international or domestic. It has given her the confidence that “she belongs”, although she’s the first to admit she needs to take her performances up a few notches.”I’ve been a bit up and down,” she admitted. “I had a good start and then had a few series where I wasn’t selected. I decided then I’ve really got to work hard to earn my spot. I got some really good clarity [from coaches and management], went away and put in the work needed to make the improvements.”Gaze likes to believe “if they ain’t talking about you, you’re doing well” with regards to her wicketkeeping, the fundamentals of which she’s learnt from mentor Rebecca Rolls. While opportunities on the batting front have been far and few lately, but she’s tried to feed off lessons from Amelia Kerr, especially, with whom she shares a great rapport.”Have learnt to compartmentalize things,” Gaze spoke about learnings from Kerr. “Obviously, she’s been wonderful for so many years. Not just in terms of cricket but inspiring everyone to be open about mental health. There are lessons for us young athletes. Having a sounding board like her is valuable.”Isabella Gaze on wicketkeeping: ‘If they ain’t talking about you, you’re doing well’•ICC/Getty ImagesGaze didn’t always have the fascination for cricket. Until her mid-teens, she was a hockey player, but all that changed when she was awarded a junior contract at Auckland after just one season. The shift happened around the time New Zealand became a toast of the cricketing world at their home World Cup [2015], and Brendon McCullum became her favourite player.When her first Auckland contract came at 15, she got the “real push” to make cricket a career. “I didn’t really realise growing up that you could play cricket and that could be your job,” she said. “So I think being a contracted player and earning off the game is pretty special.”But, you know, you’ve got to honour all those players before you who played it and didn’t get paid. So I think it’s like it’s pretty special to be in this time that cricket is paid well for women, which is super exciting. And I’m really grateful to be a part of it.”As much as cricket is her calling card, Gaze has also explored the possibilities of opening up other avenues as a professional, having seen her parents establish busy corporate careers. Born in the Netherlands, Gaze spent her early years in Hong Kong, and later Singapore, before the family moved to Auckland.”My world view has certainly shaped the way I think,” Gaze said. “Growing up, there was also a focus on being able to prioritise, while being able to multi-task.”Isabella Gaze scored her first fifty in any format earlier this year•Getty ImagesSome of her life choices – like pursuing a degree in Sport and Recreation to open up an alternate career stream, or working part-time making smoothies at a juice bar – stemmed from a desire to “do different things in life”, but there’s no iota of doubt cricket is top priority. That she has put her three-year degree on hold after completing “just about half” and completely stopped her part-time work to “switch focus completely to cricket” were examples to highlight that.”I think it definitely widens my perspective of the way people go about lives,” she said of growing up with a global perspective. “I’ve experienced different cultures, which is really something special and something I definitely wouldn’t take for granted. I enjoyed living overseas.”Singapore was particularly cool; I won’t change those first few years of my life. And then since moving to New Zealand, cricket’s taken over. But to be able to travel the world as a youngster was exciting and traveling and living in Asia – it kind of feels like home. Maybe the Singapore heat’s going to help in Dubai (laughs).”Her mother and aunt have traveled to watch her play, while her dad is ready to put in some late-nighters back in New Zealand. Her sister, a ballet dancer, is following the World Cup “on and off” from a cruise ship in the Caribbean.”The challenge is for all of us to be able to get on a call at the same time,” she said with a laugh. “FaceTime [calls] go a long way, but this also makes you value the time spent together. My dad’s a cricket nuffy, and would’ve loved to succeed playing the game. It wasn’t meant to be for him, but I’m so thrilled for him to relive that journey through me.”
