I didn’t know that West Indies had a women’s Cricket team too, I came to know about this only when the West Indies women toured India and Pakistan recently. One player from the West Indies stood up and impressed one and all and that was Nelly Williams. Nelly Williams is the opening batswoman for West Indies and hails from Trinidad and Tobago, the place of Brian Charles Lara. (From the Editor)
Cricketfundas.com’s Gargi Banerjee, former Indian Women’s Cricketer had a good chat with Nelly to bring out this interview :
Gargi Banerjee : Nelly Williams, why and when did you start playing cricket and when did you first represent the West Indies.
Nelly Williams : Well I started playing cricket in the year 1992-93, when I was a 13 year old. My mom was instrumental in my cricket, she used to play cricket and she got me to play the game literally by force. My ODI debut was against Sri Lanka women in 2003.
Gargi Banerjee: Nelly do you play County and Club cricket in England?
Nelly Williams : Well Gargi, I am the second women cricketer from West Indies to play county & club cricket in England and for me that experience is very beneficial, especially for the preparation for the Women’s World Cup in 2005 in South Africa.
Gargi Banerjee : Tell us about your performances in India and Pakistan, when the West Indies toured last year.
Nelly Williams : I scored a 50 runs in the first warm up match in Asansol in India and to me that was the start of my very consistent batting performances. And then I scored 28 against India at Jamsedpur Feb 2004 and also scored 41 runs at Eden Gardens Kolkata March 2004. At Karachi, 21-Mar-2004, I scored 53 runs at Ali Shah Stadium, and on 02-Apr-2004 scored 30 runs.
Gargi Banerjee : Can you tell us about the Association running Women’s Cricket in West Indies?
Nelly Williams : Women’s cricket in the West Indies is a work in progress that could end up in time to be a very profitable and an exciting prospect for the sport in time to come. The West Indies Women Federation is working really hard to get the best for the team for the 2005 world cup. We don’t get paid for playing cricket but we are promised in time to come, that we would get some financial assistance. Then we would no longer be just ‘call cricket players’ but ‘professional cricket players’, which we should or would want to achieve in the ‘not too distant’ future.
Gargi Banerjee: Why did you choose to play cricket?
Nelly Williams : Good question, I didn’t choose cricket, I think cricket choose me, because I feel at times that I should quit and stuff like that and yet even my negative mode towards the cricket at times still don’t phase the way I play.
Gargi Banerjee: Tell us about the club you play for in England and your performances.
Nelly Williams : Well I played for Sheffield United Club in England and my first game I went in at no. 6. I would never forget that I was really disappointed but I came out 34 not out and by the next game i went in, my position which is as an opener and i made 34 again by my 3rd game i made my highest score of 71. So by each game I played better than the last game and mind you every team we played as we go along, I found hard and more current England players.
Gargi Banerjee: What do you think about the present scenario in women’s cricket?
Nelly Williams : Well as women, I think that we have a lot to offer, I see no difference with the men and women. Women’s cricket has become more technical, more interesting, all in all the look of women cricket now and say 10 years ago is like 2 different games. As i always say we can learn from men’s cricket at least learn from the successes, they are a good product, they are well marketed, well supported and well organized.
Gargi Banerjee: Who do you think are the best three women cricketers right now?
Nelly Williams : Laura Newton and Lucy Pearson from England and Mithali Raj of India, well they are players that I see can change the game.
Gargi Banerjee: How much support or moral boost you get from your family?
Nelly Williams : Well I get a lot from my mother, she is my main supporter.
Gargi Banerjee : Now tell me Nelly, how are you preparing for the 2005 World Cup?
Nelly Williams : Well currently, we are training 4 times a week and have games on sunday against men and in 9 days all the West Indies’ players come together for a camp, which would be held in my country Trinidad. But presently I am injured, and had a doctor’s appointment yesterday, he said that I have tendonitis in the shoulder and it is bad, but not too bad for surgery. I am put on physio and some pills and rest for 3 weeks so by then i am hopeful to be 100 percent, I must tell you this feels really weird not playing because all along the year I have worked hard and to have this happen now is kind of weird. Well I am hopeful within a week’s time I will be back on the field. I am the one who thinks that I must be out there always fighting the battle because I feel I have so much to offer.
Gargi Banerjee: Do you have a personal cricket coach?
Nelly Williams : Well Gargi, if I tell you that I coached myself, what would you say? No one told me to do this, do that they just say try this and that, but I never had a coach, personal or other wise to teach me cricket. I think for myself, I play from what I reckon would or should be the right way. And before I went to England, I was at the top of my game and I was like where should I go from here and in there, no one told me anything because they saw no big fault and I guess all I got to do is put it together and just try to be the best…
Gargi Banerjee: Any Message for Cricketfundas.com.
Nelly Williams : I visited the site and I liked it, I must say it is INFORMATIVE. Thank you very much to cricketfundas.com and thank you Gargi Banerjee for sharing my views…