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'Being on the sidelines as an overseas player is very foreign': Suzie Bates on selection pressure in The Hundred

image-l7645x4tSuzie Bates in action (PC: Twitter)

Oval Invincibles skipper Suzie Bates has revealed the selection conundrum amid restrictions of three overseas players in Playing XI. 

Although the new rules in the Hundred Women's competition permit an extra overseas player in the squad, only three could find a place in the XI. 

Dane Van Niekerk led Invincibles to a title victory with her all-around performance in the last edition. Furthermore, she also captained the team in their first game of the ongoing season against Northern Superchargers. 

However, Niekerk has been omitted from the XI, resulting in Bates donning the role of a leader. 

Along with Bates, the other two Proteas players Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail have marked their presence for the better composition of the XI. 

In this regard, Bates opened up on the scenario of sitting on the sidelines as a foreign player, despite being a proven performer in international cricket. 

"It's very new for women's cricket," Bates told ESPNcricinfo. "Being on the sidelines as an overseas player is very foreign. You want all four to play, because those three are world-class players, but there's only room for three of us. It has been an interesting time: we've never had to deal with that as overseas players in the past."

Invincibles riding on Suzie Bates's rich form

Invincibles are in the fourth position with two wins in three appearances. Bates has translated her international success into the shortest format as well. The 34-year-old has slammed 102 runs at a prolific average of 137.83, with a top score of 46. 

They will face Birmingham Phoenix in their next outing on Tuesday (24 August) at Lord's, which is expected to be a mouth-watering contest. 

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