Queensland ki beti Kirby Short ab Victoria ke liye nayi innings khelne ja rahi hai. Brisbane Heat ki do baar WBBL title jeetne wali captain ab Cricket Victoria ki Head of Female Cricket bani hai. 38 saal ki yeh former spinning allrounder, jisne 67 WBBL matches khele aur Queensland Fire ko bhi lead kiya, ab women’s cricket ke liye ek nayi kahani likhne ko taiyaar hai. Par kya yeh appointment, jo bade-bade Queensland ke fans ke liye thodi si chubhan hai, Victoria ke liye game-changer banegi?
Kirby ka safar cricket ke maidaan se lekar boardroom tak shandaar raha hai. Unhone 2018-19 aur 2019-20 mein Brisbane Heat ko back-to-back WBBL titles dilaye, jisme unki leadership ko team ka backbone mana gaya. Yeh thodi si yaad dilata hai 2009 ke Women’s World Cup ka, jab Charlotte Edwards ne England ko apni captaincy se jeet tak pahunchaya tha. Kirby ne 2020 mein cricket se retirement liya, par woh game se door nahi rahi. Queensland Cricket ke Director aur Fox Sports aur Channel Seven ke commentator ke roop mein unhone apna cricket IQ dikha diya. Ab, Graham Manou ke under, woh Victoria ke women’s cricket programs ka strategic direction sambhalengi, talent dhoondhengi aur players ke liye ek supportive environment banayengi.
Kirby Short’s Career Stats
| Format | Matches | Runs | Wickets | Best Bowling | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBBL | 67 | – | – | – | Spinning Allrounder |
| WNCL | – | – | – | – | Captain |
Victoria ka women’s cricket ka itihas shandaar raha hai, jisme 36 national titles shamil hain, par recent years mein unki WNCL performance (sirf do titles, 2002-03 aur 2004-05) thodi dheemi rahi hai. Kirby ka yeh role unke liye ek mauka hai ki woh players jaise Molly Strano aur Tess Flintoff ko aur aage le jayein. Unka yeh experience, jo unhone Queensland ke saath banaya, Victoria ke liye ek naya spark la sakta hai. Kirby ne kaha, “Mere grandfather Mick Harvey ek proud Victorian the, toh yeh role mere liye khaas hai.” Yeh emotional connect shayad unhe aur motivated karega.
Par yeh safar asaan nahi hoga. Victoria ke women’s cricket ko WBBL aur WNCL mein bade teams jaise New South Wales se takkar leni hai. Kirby ka leadership ka record toh shandaar hai, par administrative role mein unka ye
Headingley ke maidaan par India ne apna jhanda gaad diya. Yashasvi Jaiswal ka zabardast 101 (159 balls, 16 fours, 1 six) aur Shubman Gill ka shandaar 65* (81 balls) ne India ko pehle din 243/3 tak pahuncha diya, jab England ke inexperienced bowlers ek unusually garm din par paseena baha rahe the. Par yeh India, jo Rohit Sharma aur Virat Kohli ke baghair ek nayi shuruaat kar raha hai, kya is dominance ko series ke aakhiri ball tak le ja payega? Ya phir yeh ek aur Headingley ka heartbreak hoga, jaisa 2019 mein jab Ben Stokes ne Australia ke khilaaf England ko miracle jeet dilayi thi?
Jaiswal, 23 saal ka yeh young opener, England ke khilaaf apna jadoo chala raha hai. Yeh unka pehla Test hundred England mein tha, aur woh bhi Headingley par, jahan pehle koi Indian opener century nahi bana paya tha. Unka yeh knock 1967 ke Farokh Engineer ke 87 run ka record todta hai. Jaiswal ke 100 runs mein 70 runs boundaries se aaye, jo unki off-side strokeplay ki khaasiyat dikhata hai. Yeh yaad dilata hai 2002 ka, jab Rahul Dravid aur Sourav Ganguly ne Headingley par apne centuries se India ko jeet dilayi thi. Par Jaiswal ka yeh shatak tab tak poora nahi hua jab tak unhone cramps ke bawajood Brydon Carse ko back-to-back boundaries maari aur ek single ke saath century poori ki.
Gill, naye Test captain, ne bhi apni class dikhai. 56 balls mein apna eighth Test fifty poora karke unhone dikha diya ki Kohli ka No. 4 slot unke liye fit hai. Unki aur Jaiswal ki 123-run partnership (155 balls) ne England ke bowlers ko hila kar rakh diya. Gill ka yeh free-flowing style yaad dilata hai 2021 ka Lord’s Test, jab KL Rahul ne 129 banaye the. Par lunch se pehle KL Rahul (42) aur debutant Sai Sudharsan ka duck ne thodi si chinta badhayi thi.
England ka bowling attack, Chris Woakes (137 wickets in England) ke saath, thoda kamzor laga. Ben Stokes (2/30) ne Jaiswal ko clean bowled kiya, par Carse (1/53) aur Josh Tongue ke liye yeh din mushkil raha. Headingley ka pitch, jo garmi aur sookhepan ke wajah se crack dikh raha tha, bowlers ke liye aur bhi tough tha. Yeh dekh kar lagta hai jaise 2002 ka Headingley, jab India ke bowlers ne England ko 273 par rok diya tha.
Player Stats Table
| Player | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 101 | 159 | 16 | 1 | 63.52 |
| Shubman Gill | 65* | 81 | 8 | 0 | 80.25 |
| KL Rahul | 42 | – | – | – | – |
| Sai Sudharsan | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Ab Rishabh Pant (6*) aur Gill crease par hain, aur India 300 ke paar jana chahega. Par Headingley ke swinging conditions aur England ka Bazball approach abhi bhi khatra hain. Kya Jaiswal aur Gill ka yeh shuruaati josh India ko jeet dilayega? Ya phir England wapas aayega, jaise 2018 mein jab unhone India ko 4-1 se hara diya tha? Time hi batayega.
References:
- ESPNcricinfo
- News9live
- CricketTimes
h pehla bada test hai. Kya woh apni commentary box aur Queensland ke boardroom wali sharpness ko maidaan ke players tak la payengi? Ya phir yeh ek aur Queenslander ka Victorian dream hoga jo adhoora reh jayega? Abhi ke liye, Kirby ke liye maidaan taiyaar hai, par cricket ke unpredictable game mein, sirf time hi batayega.
References:
- ESPNcricinfo
- Cricket Victoria
- X Posts
