After giving her heart and soul to New Zealand cricket for over a decade, Hayley Jensen has decided it’s time to hang up her international boots.
Jensen, who’s 32 now, made her debut back in 2014 and since then has been a key allrounder for the White Ferns. She’s played 35 ODIs and 53 T20Is, always ready to step up with either the bat or the ball when the team needed her most.
She’s no stranger to the big stage, having been part of four T20 World Cups. In the 2020 tournament in Australia, she stood out as New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker, proving just how valuable she was with the ball. She also played in the 2022 ODI World Cup on home soil, where the whole country got to cheer her on.
One of the highlights of her career came at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she helped New Zealand clinch the bronze medal. She took 3 important wickets in the bronze medal match against England, showing her knack for rising to the occasion.
Even though she hadn’t featured in ODIs for a while, the selectors brought her back to the T20 squad earlier this year for the series against Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, injury meant she couldn’t get back on the pitch.
Over the years, Hayley became known not just for her skills but for her grit, versatility, and the calm presence she brought to the team. She could bat steady lower down the order and bowl important overs with her medium pace.
For now, she’s stepping away from international cricket. Whether she continues playing at the domestic level is still undecided, but one thing’s clear — her journey has been inspiring and leaves a lasting mark on New Zealand cricket.
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