White Ferns coach Ben Sawyer is moving on after four years in the role.

His contract was up in December, but NZC opted against renewing the contract following a comprehensive review process of the NZC women’s high performance structure.

Sawyer, who was appointed in June 2022, led the White Ferns to glory at the T20 World Cup in 2024.

He was able to harness the potential of the likes Georgia Plimmer, Eden Carson and Izzy Gaze.

The White Ferns also won a bronze medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games in his first campaign in charge.

Sawyer said it was a privilege to have led the White Ferns.

“Being the White Ferns coach has been a huge honour and I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to lead this group,’’ he said in a statement.

“This team means a lot to me and I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in the past four years.

“Although I’m disappointed to be leaving, I want to wish the team and NZC all the best."

NZC’s chief high performance officer Daryl Gibson said Sawyer had made a significant contribution, but the programme had entered a natural transition phase.

“It was a difficult decision which was not made lightly, but it reflects our view that the next stage of the White Ferns journey requires a different leadership approach to support the future direction of the programme,’’ Gibson said.

White Ferns captain Melie Kerr said she was “grateful for Ben and everything he’s put into this team,”.

“His preparation was second to none, he poured his heart and soul into the role and left no stone unturned trying to make the team better.

"Ben played a huge part in a defining moment for women’s cricket in New Zealand.

"He showed a belief in us that helped propel the team to World Cup victory after a difficult few months and that’s a testament to his character and leadership.”

The White Ferns manager role, held by Rachel Pettit, has been disestablished, and a performance lead role will be introduced.

An interim coach will travel to Australia next month for the T20I series, with recruitment for the White Ferns head coach and performance lead roles to commence shortly.

The squad for the T20I series in Australia is set to be named in early October. — Allied Media