Ben Sawyer has departed his role as head coach of the New Zealand women's team (White Ferns) following a comprehensive high-performance review conducted by New Zealand Cricket (NZC). Contract Non-Renewal: Appointed in June 2022, Sawyer’s contract was set to run through December 2026, but NZC opted not to extend or renew the deal after determining the program needed a "different leadership approach" for its next phase.   Key Achievements: 2024 T20 World Cup Champions: Guided the White Ferns to their historic first ICC Women's T20 World Cup title in Dubai. 2022 Commonwealth Games: Secured a bronze medal in Birmingham during his first official campaign.   Youth Development: Bloodied and developed core young talent—including Georgia Plimmer, Eden Carson, and Izzy Gaze—into World Cup-winning stars.   High-Performance Restructure: The review also established a new Performance Lead role within the program, leading to the disestablishment of the White Ferns Manager position held by Rachel Pettit.   What's Next: NZC will appoint an interim head coach and manager for the upcoming T20I tour of Australia, while recruitment for a permanent head coach and the new performance lead begins. The squad for the T20I series in Australia will be named early October and the process to recruit Sawyer's full-time successor will commence shortly, NZC said.