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'Youâve got to be brave': Mackay on White Ferns hopes for World Cup opener
Jaxin Daniels ⹠ October 1st, 2025 4:03 pm
Frankie Mackay playing for the White Ferns | Photo: Chris Symes / Photosport
With New Zealand getting their Women's Cricket World Cup campaign underway tonight in India, former White Fern Frankie Mackay joined Sport Nationâs Scotty and Izzy to discuss their hopes for the tournament.
Some might think playing the defending champions first up can prove niggly, but Mackay thinks this is a great thing for the White Ferns.
âEvery time you turn up for a World Cup, youâve got to beat the best,â Mackay said.
âYouâve got to be able to turn up, to front up, to put your best foot forward.
âI like the fact that it starts with Australia. You just turn up and you have to say right, weâre here, weâre ready to go, weâre going to beat these guys.
âIn a weird way, it takes a little bit of pressure off.
âYou play them first up and itâs actually a chance to say weâre here, weâve knocked off the defending champs first up, bring on the rest of the tournament.â
This raises the question, how do you beat the best in the world?
âYouâve got to be brave,â Mackay said.
âYouâve got to be clinical in the way you go about your gameplan, and youâve got to realise that theyâre going to challenge you on every part of that.
âYouâve got to have someone that goes out and doesnât take a backwards step.â
The veteran of 60 white-ball internationals can also see where the Aussies might be vulnerable.
âI think a little bit of a chink that probably shows in Australiaâs game plan is that they want to dominate the game at every stage,â Mackay said.
âIâm not saying theyâre arrogant by any stretch of the imagination, because theyâre good enough to play like that, but there is that little bit of an ego there.
âThe little humble New Zealanders who just do the basics well over and over again, bring that consistency, bring a little bit of fight, thatâs what you need to put them on the back foot.
âThen they turn around and say, no, Iâm going to dominate this game, Iâm going to show you that Iâm so much better.
âThatâs when things can get a little bit sticky.â
Listen to the full interview below:
