New Zealand’s experienced all-rounder Sophie Devine has reignited the debate around playing conditions in women’s cricket, calling for a reassessment of fielding restrictions and boundary dimensions that she believes currently favour batters too heavily.
Speaking amid discussions around the evolution of the women’s game, Devine pointed out that modern power-hitting, combined with restrictive fielding laws, has tilted the contest away from bowlers. Under existing regulations, teams are allowed a maximum of four fielders outside the inner circle during non-powerplay overs, a rule designed to boost scoring and entertainment.
One area of concern raised by Devine is the disparity in boundary sizes across tournaments. In the Women’s Premier League (WPL), the maximum boundary length is capped at 60 metres, whereas in the men’s competition, it can extend up to 77 metres.
“There needs to be a serious look at the four-fielders-out rule. We are pretty close to going in line with the men and having five fielders out on the boundary,” she told reporters on Thursday. “We’ve all seen the power that the women’s game has got now and I don’t think having five fielders out would make a hindrance to the possibility and opportunities to score more runs.”
Devine, who was roped in by Gujarat Giants at the 2026 WPL auction and currently sits among the top five run-scorers and wicket-takers this season, explained that such conditions make life particularly challenging for bowlers.
“The balance is distorted towards batters, especially when you’re playing on wickets that are so flat and offering not too much for the bowlers,” Devine added.
The veteran also weighed in on the growing use of the ‘retired-out’ tactic in the WPL, a strategy that has sparked debate after Gujarat Giants’ Ayushi Soni and UP Warriorz’s Harleen Deol retired mid-innings during the opening week of the tournament.
“At the end of the day, those decisions are always made with the team coming first and what’s going to be best for the team to be able to gain momentum,” she said.
While opinions remain divided on in-game substitutions, Devine made it clear where she stands, favouring the retired-out option over the impact player rule, which allows teams to replace a player during a match.
“I like the idea that you can do all skills, or certainly bat, and still be able to go on the field,” she added.
Her comments come at a time when women’s cricket is witnessing rapid growth in power-hitting and viewership, intensifying conversations around whether playing conditions need to evolve to ensure a fair contest between bat and ball.
