“It’s been such a great ride,” Bezuidenhout said in a New Zealand Cricket statement.

“Playing for the White Ferns has been a huge privilege and honour and it’s left me with the fondest memories. The journey has taught me so much and I’ll be forever grateful to everyone who has been on the path with me.”

“I’m at peace with this decision but it wasn’t an easy one to make,” Bezuidenhout said. “I’ve struggled to find a balance between my work and playing career for a while now, and after a lot of thought and reflection I feel that it’s the right time to pivot and put my full focus on The EPIC Sports Project.”

Bezuidenhout played five of New Zealand’s six white-ball games at home against England earlier this year before being ruled out due to a hamstring injury in the final ODI.

“I want to thank Bernie for the contributions she’s made to the White Ferns on the field, and for the caring qualities she brought to the group off the field,” Ben Sawyer, the New Zealand head coach, said. “We’re proud of the work that Bernie does outside of cricket and I have no doubt she’ll continue to make a positive impact on the lives of many.”

Bezuidenhout will continue to play domestic cricket for Northern Districts.