Leigh Kasperek

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Kasperek played for Scotland before switching her alliance to New Zealand in order to play at a higher level.

A right-arm off-break bowler, Kasperek has played for several domestic teams, including Wellington Blaze, Otago Sparks and has also turned up for Western Australia.

Her debut domestic season in New Zealand had very little success, as the spinner only took a solitary wicket in eight matches that she played in the season. In the following season, Kasperek improved on her bowling and took 18 wickets in the season, and finished as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

After fulfilling the eligibility criteria to play for the White Ferns, Kasperek was given her maiden ODI cap against a formidable Indian Women’s team. She finished the ODI series with 6 wickets in the five matches that she played, and in the T20I series that followed, the wily off-spinner was again amongst the wicket and finished the series with 4 wickets.

In 2015, against a touring Sri Lanka Women’s team, she took 4 for 27, her maiden four-wicket haul in ODI’s. 

In 2018, after some impressive performances in the shorter formats of the game, Kasperek was given a Central contract by the New Zealand Board. 

She was named in New Zealand’s 2020 Women’s World Cup squad and was the leading wicket-taker for White Ferns in the tournament with 8 scalps in 4 matches. 

Kasperek took an unusual route to become a successful cricketer. It’s been a hard journey from Scotland to New Zealand, and Kasperek has worked hard immensely to gain a place in the White Ferns squad. She has loads of experience under her belt and would be hoping that the upcoming international season goes well for her and for the New Zealand Women’s team.

(As of March 2021)