Craig McMillan appointed full-time New Zealand women's assistant coach ahead of ODI World Cup

Former New Zealand cricketer Craig McMillan has been appointed full-time assistant coach of the New Zealand women’s cricket team, after serving the role in a part-time capacity just over a year. He will work alongside head coach Ben Sawyer and batting coach Dean Brownlie, with his tenure commencing this week.

A New Zealand Cricket statement said that the all-rounder will now focus on both the national team and the Women’s Players of Interest programme, as he steps back from his successful commentary career and other coaching commitments. McMillan was also part of the support staff when New Zealand won the Women's T20 World Cup in the UAE last year.

"I'm over the moon to be in this role. The women's game is going from strength to strength, and I'm excited to continue to work with our talented players and help them reach their goals. The last year has gone so quickly and I've loved every minute of being part of a team that continues to improve, challenge one another, and does special things on the world stage," said McMillan in a statement as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

The Women’s ODI World Cup, taking place in India and Sri Lanka, begins later this month. The New Zealand squad for the tournament is expected to be announced on September 10. The team’s first assignment will be against Australia Women on Wednesday, October 1, in Indore.

"It's been a busy period leading into the 50-over World Cup. We've had a number of camps including one in Chennai which exposed the players to Indian conditions like what they'll face in October-November. The team is pumped to get back to India and take on another World Cup,” said McMillan.

A couple of weeks ago, the Kiwis ramped up their preparations with a camp in spin-friendly conditions at the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Academy in Chennai. As part of their World Cup preparations, the White Ferns will play two warm-up matches, one each against South Africa and India.