Cricket has been a huge part of my life since I was about eight years old, when I first started playing for the boys team at the local club, High Wycombe.
There were no girls teams around so Mum convinced Dad to take me down after being inspired by my brother, who was already playing there. Dad subsequently tried to find women’s clubs for me to play for and helped to set up a girls section at High Wycombe too. I fell in love with the game quickly and realised it was something I wanted to pursue seriously when I was fast-tracked into England development trials at 12.
That journey led to me becoming the first woman of South Asian heritage to represent a senior national England team in any sport at 16, which remains something I’m incredibly proud of. Over my playing career, I was fortunate to represent England 113 times, and helped to win the 2009 Women’s ODI and T20 World Cup, along with 3 Ashes series.
Since retiring from international cricket in 2012, I’ve stayed deeply connected to the sport through broadcasting and administration. Today, I work as a presenter and commentator with organisations including the BBC, Sky and Fox and on coverage of major international tournaments around the world.
I’ve also really enjoyed using my platform to support others, particularly through my charity Take Her Lead, which was founded to promote equity and diversity in cricket and increase the participation of women & girls. I would not be where I am without the support and guidance I had along the way, especially through my parents and older players on the pathway, so to give them the same opportunities that I had growing up is something I feel very passionate about. To work with other amazing charities in cricket and key stakeholders also feels like a collective team effort.
What I’m proudest of is being able to use cricket as a platform to create positive change beyond my playing career through the different teams I’ve been part of. Whether that’s helping audiences connect more deeply with the game through broadcasting, or encouraging the next generation of women and girls to believe they belong in cricket in the many different ways they can be; that impact means a great deal to me.
What drives me is a belief that cricket should be a sport where everyone with talent and passion has the opportunity to thrive and can lead other sports by doing so. I want to help ensure the game continues to grow, evolve and inspire future generations around the world.