The Otago great should be excited about the White Ferns tour of England, and she is.
The classy 33-year-old has not played since she injured her shoulder in November and is very much looking forward to her return.
The White Ferns leave for the United Kingdom tomorrow but they will be without all-rounder Amelia Kerr, who is missing the tour to prioritise her mental health.
Sport has a way of shining a light on the issues in society, and mental health has emerged as a prominent theme.
High-profile athletes Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles have helped direct the spotlight through their own battles, and the sudden death of New Zealand rider Olivia Podmore this week has shaken the New Zealand cycling and wider sporting community.
"I’ve found it quite an unsettling week with the news about the cyclist and obviously what’s happened at the Olympics," Bates said.
"It makes you reflect on where you’ve been at, mentally, and there have been tough times.
"But I feel like I’ve always had really good support around me and, for whatever reason, I’ve not got as low as some of the people around me have been feeling.
"But it is a real wake-up call that in high performance sport we can get so fixated on the results, and there is a lot of money that goes into it now.
"The world is definitely changing, but I’m just really pleased that the likes of Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine feel comfortable to admit when they are struggling and take time away."
Devine took a two-month break from the sport to address mental health issues earlier this year.
Black Fern Kendra Cocksedge and Silver Ferns shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio have been outspoken about their own mental health issues.
Asked if the 24-hour news cycle and the rise of social media had contributed to the pressures athletes were under, Bates was torn.
"I can only speak about my own sport. But for all of my career, we’ve been desperate to raise the profile.
"You want the games on TV, you want media at the games, you want people talking about women’s cricket, but with that comes the added pressure and scrutiny of people judging your performances.
"It becomes a catch-22. But in the women’s game, because it is very new territory, it is about having strategies to cope with it.
"I’m hoping, in the next couple of years, players will come into the environment and will know what it is like and it is not such a shock because it has certainly changed since I started. It was only good news that got reported then, too.
"I feel the profile of the game has grown so much and that has far more positives than negatives.
"But there are female and male players out there who struggle with that constant judgement."
Bates said she could be sensitive to criticism, and one of her strategies was to avoid social media.
"I’ll often ban myself during periods where I feel like I might be vulnerable to comment. And the next thing is I know I have two or three really important people around me who I can call at any time."
Being able to switch off was important as well, she said.
Bates has had her share of down time recently. She had shoulder surgery just before Christmas and the recovery was tough.
But she had a firm goal in mind — the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup which will be hosted in New Zealand between March 4 and April 3.
It was originally scheduled for this year but was postponed because of Covid-19.
"That has been the carrot which got me through some tough times. That is what we are all shooting for.
"While we are going to England, and it is really important to see where we are at, because they are the current world champs, the World Cup is the priority and perhaps highlights why Melie has taken this time out.
"We need everyone at the World Cup to be physically and mentally fit."
Central Districts seamer Rosemary Mair has been forced out of the tour with a bone stress fracture in her left shin. Mair will be replaced by Auckland Hearts seamer Molly Penfold, who receives her maiden call-up.
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