The Women’s Cricket World Cup, starting on Friday, represents a chance to celebrate yet another chapter in the story of women’s cricket, and the stories within women’s cricket. A colleague of mine, who has been around cricket for more than a decade but is working on his first women’s event, is amazed by the narratives that are emerging as the cricket begins. So let me introduce you to some of the stories I’ve been bumping into, here in New Zealand
The Women’s Cricket World Cup, starting on Friday, represents a chance to celebrate yet another chapter in the story of women’s cricket, and the stories within women’s cricket. A colleague of mine, who has been around cricket for more than a decade but is working on his first women’s event, is amazed by the narratives that are emerging as the cricket begins. So let me introduce you to some of the stories I’ve been bumping into, here in New Zealand for the Cricket World Cup.
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Women's cricket is a richer sport than men’s cricket. Not in the way you think. Not in terms of dollars, but dreams. Not in terms of revenues, not yet. But in real life stories. Professionalism in women’s cricket is sweeping through some countries, and creeping through others. And so most players have lives outside of cricket. Stories of who they were before they became cricketers.
New Zealand’s Frances Mackay is a librarian who reads three books a month while bowling off spin alongside Jess Kerr, a teacher with a mean inswinger. Aussie Rachel Haynes creates powerpoint presentations and vision documents for her team, putting her MBA to good use. Afy Fletcher, from West Indies, has left her eight-month-old son behind to come play in the World Cup. Australia’s Megan Schutt has brought her seven-month-old daughter along. There is an almost-medical student whose cover drives cut through fields like scalpels. There is an engineer with a shiny new ball in hand. There is an ambidextrous player who spins the ball with one hand and makes art with the other.
Then there are the dual internationals, those show offs. Sophie Devine (hockey) and Ellyse Perry (football) we’ve heard of. But let’s celebrate Cherry Ann Fraser too, who has played volleyball for Guyana, and Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews who have earned medals hurling javelins. Remember Fletcher? Besides being the first West Indies player to benefit from paid maternity leave, she’s also played football for Grenada.
In the New Zealand dressing room, a baby is learning stories old and new. One-year-old Grace, daughter of New Zealand players Lea Tahuhu and Amy Satterthwaite, can see a flag which is signed by almost every woman who has played cricket for New Zealand, including her mothers. She is growing up with new stories of what family and career can look like. Bangladesh have been around for almost 15 years, but they are playing their first ODI World Cup. Senior player Salma Khatun’s batch never knew there was a Bangladesh women’s cricket team when they took up the sport. She has a chance to change that story for the next generation.
India and Pakistan will begin their tournament on Sunday with a story we have seen before: India’s batting against Pakistan’s fast bowling. But this is the first time in their history that Pakistan have had a pace bowling combination that can threaten India’s batters, with ICC Emerging Player of the year Fatima Sana partnering Diana Baig. Will they be enough to give Pakistan their first ever win against India in ODIs? Will they give this story a twist?
But this is not Westeros, where the one with the best story earns the throne. It’s the Cricket World Cup, and the cricket promises to be record breaking. Statistician John Leathers writes, in the Women’s CricZone magazine: “The average winning 1st innings total (in the 2017-22 World Cup cycle) has been 268.9, compared to 241.2 in the 2013-17 cycle.” In a warm up game, favourites Australia scored 321. New Zealand chased it down with 9 wickets in hand and almost seven overs to spare. Can you see the writing on the wall?
This is also the World Cup of Stories, but let’s not make the mistake of romanticising all these stories. Because they also speak also of the apathy and slow growth of the game. The West Indies have had no inter-island cricket, their domestic tournament, since 2019. Bangladesh will play an ODI against four of the seven other teams in this tournament for the first time, reflecting the financial realities of bilateral women’s cricket for some boards. Even for hosts New Zealand, the only team outside of England and Australia to have won the World Cup before, this is the first time they go into an ODI World Cup fully professional.
Shafali Verma having to pretend to be a boy to play a game in Rohtak makes great TV, but a sad reality. Some stories are great. But some need to disappear.
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