Today we've
got the MS fun run, where my sister, myself, and a few others
are running. It's important that everyone excersises
and does this type of thing for a good cause. I think
sport is a real leveller. In all sports you can have a real high moment
and then all of a sudden you could be out for a golden duck the next day.
Brings you back to earth and that's what I enjoy about sport, and I think that's what
the Australian public love as well.
I was born in India and then moved straight away to
America, and then Kenya, and then Australia. I was adopted when I was
three weeks old and my parents had an older girl so they wanted another
child, and I think one of the nurses said I know you
looking for a boy but... So, no surprise I'm playing cricket, you know, typical male sport.
My father's Indian, born in Bombay, my
mother was a white English, so being a little girl on an
Indian passport makes it quite difficult to travel the world, so we came
here to get my citizenship, and I think the story goes us three girls kind of
said, no I think we want to stay here, this is the place to live.
Sport is a massive part of Australian
culture. Whether you're going to the beach, or doing things, or out in the park
running around. It allowed me to fit in and feel alot more comfortable.
Whereas I know other people who weren't good at sport and
who immigrated to Australia, found it difficult.
My father first introduced me to the game and said I've joined you in the local boys team, and I'm like
uhhh, no! And then the year that I finished
school, I made the NSW Opens Womens team.
2005 was my first world
cup experience, over in South Africa. We played India in the final
and I was fortunate enough to be involved in a really big partnership.
It was pretty special moment to be part of that team, and walk away with the trophy.
When I first walk out it causes a certain
level of nerves, but once I'm out there and start my routine
Really cricket is about who's got the smartest brain, who can keep
their nerves under control, who can execute the skills under pressure.
When I started attending
uni, my mother was diagnosed with secondary cancer.
My days consisted of going to uni, taking mum to the hospital, going
to training. It was difficult to see my mother deteriorate,
I gave her a bit of a whack sometimes when I wasn't in a great mood.
So I could almost forget what was going on back at home.
And come to cricket, and just focus on becoming a better cricketer.
My father's been a mentor from woe to go and I have alot
of similar traits to him even though I'm adopted. Anything that I did with my father
was competetive and that's where I got it from, and let's just say I don't do things
for fun. I do things so I win. Of course, I had to be
a four year old. My nephew now is at an age where you can have
deep conversations with him and we're such a small family that having
another personality is exciting, and being around a little kid
you realise that life isn't too bad sometimes, it puts things in perspective.
I'm a city girl through and through and in this household we tend to cook up
a big meal and enjoy a glass of wine.
Especially if we've got friends over, we'll sit around and play a board game because
most of my friends have got that competetive spirit aswell.
I love Sydney. I love the harbor, I
love what is on offer here in Sydney. And I'm an Aussie girl through and through, so
I'll always settle here. But the main thing is the fact that
you know, I went out and did the Australian things, I went out
and played cricket, went to beach. I'm not a strong swimmer, but I enjoyed the beach.
I made sure I had friends that weren't Indian, or
that I was embracing every part of Australia, and as long as you do that
of course, celebrate your culture and the diversity that you
bring to this country, but make sure that you taste what's Australian as well.