Three of the brightest young talents in the Women’s game in America have been signed as overseas players in the upcoming inaugural Women’s Caribbean Premier League and the new 6ixty taking place from 24th August to the 4th of September in St Kitts. We are going to hear from all three of them and now it’s the second of the Women’s CPL Player Diary blogs here on usacricket.org, today it’s Isani Vaghela.
I still can’t quite believe I’m here, when I first heard about participating in the inaugural 6ixty and Women’s Caribbean Premier League it was a feeling that I can’t quite put into words. It was an amazing moment for me, and now that we’re here experiencing it in person, it has lived up to all of my dreams and it is something that I will never forget. The Guyana Amazon Warriors team and support staff have made me feel welcome every step of the way and being a part of such a high-level setup is highly motivating and has given me a chance to see how I stack up alongside some of the best players in the world.
It’s been an amazing experience throughout and I’ve learned a lot during this tournament. There is a very high level of energy as soon as the team arrives at the ground and the girls hold that intensity until the end of the game. There is always a standard that the captain and senior players hold themselves to, and while they love to have fun – they make sure that they’re also being competitive and focused. I’ve noticed that they’re far more aware of the work that needs to be put in to maintain such a high standard. Having such talented and result-driven women around me only motivates me to become more enthusiastic about my own training and approach for the future.
Selfie Time with Hayley Matthews
One thing I specifically remember is all of the players stressing how important fitness is and how focusing on fitness really helped the girls here bring their game to the next level. For the tournament so far, after the fun and enjoyment of experiencing the 6ixty and seeing Snigdha’s Barbados team lift the trophy, we felt we were unlucky with the rain coming down to deprive us of a chance to take a win vs Trinbago, meaning that it all comes down to our final group game today where we’ll need to beat Barbados Royals to advance to the final. If i get called into the starting team for either of the games, I’ll be excited and ready to go.
As a personal note, the experience of participating in this tournament and with the best players in the world motivated me to keep working harder to become a better cricketer and a better person.
With West Indies Left-Hander Shimron Hetmyer
