Cricket lovely cricket! What a game! I wondered what life would be without playing the game over the years. Finally, I did it! The game has been rewarding and hard. There were good times and bad. My life was all about cricket, but it all started too late. This makes you wish that you were a few years younger. Cricket has finally taken off. The rewards look promising and everyone seems to be getting into the groove of things. I finally retired and I feel extremely satisfied with my decision.
The team is presently young and slowly gaining experience. Over the two years I watch the team members grow in stature and maturity, taking on a vast responsibility. I wish the team all the best and my thoughts and prayers are with them. There are a few players who will show their class and wit during the world cup. I will not single those players out at this time. There will be a few surprises and I am looking forward to it.
But, I will admit I felt sorry I had to disappoint the team by my sudden departure from the game. I must say it is for the good. One must understand when the mind and the body say no it means no. When the support is not forthcoming this can breed discontentment. When the fun is out of the game also the joy of playing goes with it. It was just not me. My experiences, knowledge, players, well wishers and love of the game were the only thing keeping me going. However, the experiences and the behaviour of some makes you wonder if they knew what it means to have fun and play the game seriously? A word to the wise, “you must have fun to play with passion…”
With my achievement, recognition to the sport of women’s cricket within the Caribbean has reached a new high. I have been featured around the world and the Caribbean and still I find myself not achieving much to the sport. My achievement is a scratch on the surface and not worthy of much praise. I now look forward to my main career and focus on other areas of life I neglected in the past.
It is nice to be stationary for a while and do not look forward to travelling the world and the region. I will miss the camaraderie with team-mates local and regional. The friends and pen pals you acquire from opposing teams regionally and internationally. To date, we are still corresponding. The fun of playing the game is forever in my heart and I will surely miss.
I would like to take the time out to thank all who assisted and contributed to me in my cricketing career. Without your support my career and achievement would not be possible.
I will still make myself available in the future to assist in one way or the other in imparting knowledge and performing some form of administrative role in promoting and administrating women’s cricket. The love of the beautiful game of cricket will never die.
Congratulations on a successful career and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Posted by: anthony from canada at February 26, 2009 10:10 PM
Your observation of how to play the game is right on.I sincerely believe you could lead even the male teams and be a most successful leader.Nadine for Prime Minister or head of the UN.
Mithali Raj, India's former captain, has been on the international circuit for a decade. In August 2006, she led India to their first-ever Test and series win in England and capped off the year by winning the Asia Cup - the second time in 12 months - without dropping a game. India, under her captaincy, also reached the World Cup final in 2005. Now, as one of the senior members of the side, and the premier batsman, a lot will be riding on her for the two World Cups - 50-over and Twenty20 - that India will play in 2009.
Urooj Mumtaz managed to juggle a course in dentistry along with captaining Pakistan. Their most recent triumph was qualifying for the World Cup next year and the 22-year old Urooj will lead a young team to Australia in hope of creating a favourable impression of the Pakistan women's team among the other sides as well as back home. A legspinner, she has a hat-trick against Zimbabwe.
Cri-zelda Brits became South Africa’s captain at the age of 23, standing in for Shandre Fritze in the home series against Pakistan in 2007. She followed this by captaining the side to a 3-0 series whitewash against the Netherlands as well as winning the first-ever Test between the two sides by 159 runs. In 2008 she scored her maiden ODI hundred and led South Africa to a spot in the World Cup after beating Pakistan in the Qualifiers final in Stellenbosch. She also coaches the Northwest women's team, based in Potchefstroom, and runs her own academy.
Shelley Nitschke combines playing for Australia and her state with working in cricket, as a school officer. A useful spinner, her batting is also worth talking about – she has developed into a handy allrounder. Her major achievements to date are winning the 2005 World Cup, taking 7 for 24 against England in Kidderminster in 2005 and being nominated for the ICC Women's Player of the Year in 2006-07. Although she has played netball, softball and basketball, cricket has always been her stand-out sport.
Ebony Rainford-Brent made history as one of eight England players to be handed a Chance to Shine coaching contract, allowing her flexibility around training. A top-order batsman, she fought back from what doctors thought was a career-killing back injury and could one day bowl again – calling her determined is an understatement. She is on the Surrey Academy and her Super 4s side is Diamonds. Proficient in basketball and athletics, she settled for playing cricket … and the drums.
Haidee Tiffen has played for New Zealand for more than ten years and is now their captain, having begun her career with Otago Under-21s before heading to Canterbury. She has played representational hockey, basketball and rugby – but cricket is her passion and won out over New Zealand junior hockey. She is particularly proud of winning the World Cup in 2000, reaching the 100-ODI milestone and being skipper. Her experience also includes playing for Sussex for two winters and she was also part of the first female academy in Lincoln. Somehow she also finds time to teach Health and PE at Hillmorton High School.
Isobel Joyce,a class bat with a steely mentality, comes from a family full of cricketers - twin sister Cecilia plays alongside her for Ireland and brother Dom for the men’s national team, while another brother, Ed, plays for England and Middlesex. Her first half-century came against a strong New Zealand attack in Dublin in 2004 and her figures of 4 for 20 helped her side beat Scotland by six wickets in the European Championship in 2001, where Ireland won all their three matches. Her 46 against Netherlands in the summer of 2007 helped to maintain her place in the World Cup qualifiers in South Africa. She was in outstanding form with both and ball during the tournament, scoring 148 runs at 37 and taking 10 wickets at an average of 7. She ran out five Pakistani players in Ireland's first match, before earning two successive Player-of-the-Match awards against Scotland and then Zimbabwe, against whom she scored 70 and took 4 for 10. She was named captain for their next series, against West Indies, after Heather Whelan pulled out because she was expecting.
Nadine George has been a regular for West Indies since her debut in 1999. She first led the side on their tour of Europe in June-July 2008, when West Indies thrashed Ireland and Netherlands while putting up a respectable performance against England. Nadine combines playing for West Indies and her national team, St.Lucia, with her day job as a Sergeant in the Police Marine Unit of the Royal St.Lucia Police Force. A left-hand batsman and wicketkeeper, Nadine says the highlights of her career are receiving an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2005, being the first West Indies woman cricketer to score a century in a Test (in Pakistan in 2004), playing in the World Cup in South Africa (2005), and playing club cricket in Australia in 2006. Nadine also plays netball and volleyball and loves the marine environment and is passionate about diving. She is a qualified open water diver and during her working hours captains a 65 and 82 ft vessel. Her motto in life is "with hard work and dedication one can achieve".
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