Cricket Commentator Isa Guha Is a Force to be Reckoned With During The Ashes 2021

As a cricket fan, The Ashes is one of the most recognisable tournaments in the game. The annual England VS Australia Test series got its name from a satirical obituary published in British newspaper The Sporting Times. After Australia beat England in 1882, the article stated that “English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia”.

From there, the rest was history. Similar to barbecues, eating a Drumstick and sunbathing on the beach, The Ashes have become synonymous with Aussie summer. 

The two countries come face to face every year in order to win the urn, and so far, Australia has won 33 times, England 32 and six series have been a draw. Former England cricketer Isa Guha is considered one of the best commentators the sport has seen, and to top it off, she’s one of the very few women dominating the industry. Guha spoke to POPSUGAR Australia as she prepared to call the men’s Ashes series, reflecting on her career and the work that still needs to be done within the cricketing world. After retiring from the sport, the bowler and right-handed batter decided to pursue a career in broadcast, and it certainly paid off.

“I think for me, it just happened. There weren’t a lot of female commentators around when I was playing. And a couple of fellow teammates had tried their hand at it but there weren’t a load of opportunities,” she recounted. “And I didn’t think I would be very good at it either, even though I watched a lot of cricket, when it came to interviews, I guess I started off pretty shy. So to be able to get those chances at the start, firstly, as a pundit and then in commentary and presenting, I guess it’s been a bit of a journey. I’m just so fortunate to be able to travel around the world and learn my craft. It’s just been amazing.”

But despite succeeding and climbing up the ladder in the commentary world, Isa recognises the challenges women face, both on the field and off it. And while progress is being made, there’s still a long way to go.

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“I think ultimately you just want things to be normalised. You want people to be listening to broadcast and it doesn’t seem out of sorts to have a female voice. I think because it has been so rare in the past, people just weren’t very used to it,” she said. “So it’s been a journey where I really believe in my own abilities but it’s just amazing to see so many other female commentators out there. It makes me so proud, and that’s something that has been an evolution. That’s what we want to achieve essentially, a world where young women coming through believe that they can do it too. You can’t be it if you can’t see it.”

Making her international cricket debut at the age of 16 in 2001, Isa had many memorable moments before putting down her bat in 2012. With her cricketing heroes being Darren Gough, Ben Stokes and Shane Warne, it’s no surprise the athlete set records left, right and centre when playing for England. But in saying that, women’s cricket still is yet to get the same amount of attention as the mens, even in 2021 — something Isa is hoping to change.

“With anything in life, anything you want to progress, with equity and equality. It’s just constantly shifting the goalposts. As someone who sits on the Professional Cricket Association Board, very much wanting to drive women’s cricket forward but also understanding that money doesn’t grow on trees. So it’s a constant balancing act. But if there’s a way of setting goals in motion, then at least there’s something to aspire to. And it’s not just about the financials, it’s also about not being treated like second class citizens. It’s being on par with men with the way you’re treated. I think we’re moving in the right direction but there is a need to constantly push.”

With The Ashes currently airing on television right now, Isa didn’t want to predict at the time who would take home the urn, as she didn’t “want to jinx it”. But of course, as a former English player, we all know who she was secretly hoping to come out on top.

The Ashes is airing now on Channel 7, Fox Cricket and Kayo.