Taking a lead on diversity Cricket must get on front foot to help women and girls to feel accepted

Cricket must get on front foot to help women and girls to feel accepted

- Isa Guha

Nearly a quarter of a century has passed since myself and Ebony Rainford-Brent made our England cricket debuts. It was awesome for us to win World Cups together as the first two female internationals from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Since then there have been only four others, two with an Indian heritage. When you think of the interest shown in the game by the South Asian community, it is a staggering number.

In 2022 I founded a charity, Take Her Lead, in honour of my mum, with the aim to increase the number of women and girls playing and staying in the game, and advance equity and diversity in cricket. We do this through connecting young players from under-represented groups to aspirational role models through life-skills workshops, to build the mental and social skills required to stay in the sport (girls are 20% more likely to drop out of sport than boys). We also support women who work or volunteer in cricket and sports broadcasting, and fund research.

While there is increased visibility and investment in the women's game, there is still a lot to be done at grassroots and community level. When Take Her Lead conducted a survey of 1,000 women and girls in 2022, we found that the majority didn't feel they belonged in the sport. Our mission is to make sure every woman and girl has the best possible experience of cricket whenever and however they are involved.