Black Caps provide the winning example for White Ferns

New Zealand's women have seen the formula required to win the CricInfo Women's World Cup this year from their male counterparts.

Former New Zealand women's international Judi McCarthy told CricInfo that winning the World Cup was all about players playing to their potential.

"In every match the New Zealand men played at the ICC KnockOut, instead of one player doing something well there were three or four who did well. That makes plenty of difference.

"If we play to our potential we have oodles of talent but there is a difference between talent and performance," she said.

McCarthy, who was a member of the first New Zealand World Cup team in 1973 (as Judi Doull) and who attended the 1993 World Cup, recently visited the tournament venue at Christchurch's Lincoln University and she gave the venue the thumbs up.

"I liked the fields, It was lovely out there and ideal for the event. The grounds are of an intimate size which keep the historical feeling for the game alive and that's great.

"With all the teams being accommodated on the site and around it, it is quite a plus. And that policy has allowed eight teams to be there. It has cut costs and is very practical," she said.

Apart from the obvious competitiveness between Australia, New Zealand, England and India for the champions label, the tournament would do a lot for the lower teams.

"It will raise the standards of those teams and lift the profile of the game in their countries. It enlarges the game around the world," she said.

While delighted with the manner in which the women's amalgamation with New Zealand Cricket helped the marketing of women's cricket and provided more opportunities for women she shares the concern of many in sport that not enough is being to provide coaches and administrators for the future.

Without good coaches the game could not advance as quickly as it might.

"One thing I do worry about is that we are not building an adequate supply of players who can step up and into the New Zealand team. It's probably a numbers thing.

"I am also concerned about why so many promising players don't get any better. We are fragile and I don't quite know what the answer is," she said.

Australia had the sheer weight of numbers, which meant it didn't suffer the same problems.

"They also seem to be able to judge very wisely when to bring in new players so the momentum is maintained.

"I have friends in Australia who send me books on women's cricket and one year they sent me something about the club competition in Melbourne and they had three times as many teams there as we had in all of New Zealand."

Despite that McCarthy believes that if the White Ferns follow the example of the Black Caps they can win the tournament.

"There is absolutely no reason why not. And I hope we do," she said.

McCarthy, who now lives at Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds, intends to be in Christchurch when Australia plays New Zealand in the tournament opener on November 29.