Almost 40 nations are represented in this year’s FairBreak Invitational, showcasing some of the best women’s talent across the Associate and Full Member worlds.
Nineteen matches will be played in the six-team tournament from May 4 to May 15 in UAE, as the first privately-run women’s T20 league of its type.
With 25 Associate Nations represented, the 2022 FairBreak Invitational is likely the most diverse tournament in the world to feature international cricketers, in either men’s or women’s cricket.
Full Member nations are represented, with only India and Afghanistan not providing cricketers, though India’s Anju Jain will serve as head coach of the Tornadoes team.
The landmark tournament brings together huge talent across the International spectrum. Established full member international captains such as England’s Heather Knight, West Indies’ Stephanie Taylor, Pakistan’s Bismah Maroof, former New Zealand captain Suzie Bates, and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, and Suné Luus join fellow full member stars Sophie Ecclestone, Sana Mir, Grace Harris, Deandre Dottin, Maizanne Kapp, and more.
Associate standouts like Thailand’s World Cup heroine Natthakan Chantam, Scotland’s Sarah and Kathryn Bryce, and USA Captain Sindhu Sriharsha, who is the only Associate Member to captain a team in this tournament, join emerging stars like Brazil’s Roberta Moretti Avery and Laura Cardoso, Rwanda’s Henriette Ishimwe, Bhutan’s Anju Gurung, and Vanuatu’s Selina Solman, to name a few of many.
With the recent World Cup considered the most-engaged women’s sporting event across social media, attention in the women’s game is at an all-time high. Founder of FairBreak Shaun Martyn is adamant the next logical step for the game is to showcase the best in the game.
“It’s time for this to happen. The quality of play in the women’s game is so exceptional that it demands this level of attention.
“The audience for this event – and FairBreak as a movement – is diverse, and the opportunity is immense with playing talent spread globally, not just in traditional cricket markets. The time for this is now.”
FairBreak’s endeavour to deliver the tournament goes back to the pillars of their mission statement, using cricket to create opportunities “that progress gender equality on a truly global scale.”
Sanctioned by the ICC, the tournament not only provides the space for some of the game’s best emerging talent to test themselves against world class talent – but proves that the model for women’s domestic cricket tournaments with sufficient, realistic backing is not only viable, but potentially prosperous.
“The approval process to get this tournament up and running has been long and arduous but worthwhile on so many levels.” Martyn added.
“You must remember that men’s and women’s cricket are two different products and it’s taken a lot of hard work to create and share the vision and mission of FairBreak.
“What’s enabled this now is dedication and belief in what we do from a core group of people to get the organisation established and grow it to what it’s become today. This has come from the drive and support of our leadership team, all the players, coaches, assistant coaches, managers and other key stakeholders involved with this event.”
Squads
Barmy Army
Heather Knight (c) (ENG), Laura Wolvaardt (RSA), Selina Solman (VAN), Deandra Dottin (WI), Kavisha Kumari (UAE), Shemaine Campbelle (WI), Fatima Sana (PAK), Rumana Ahmed (BAN), Tara Norris (USA), Roberta Moretti Avery (BRA), Rubina Chhetri (NEP), Laura Cardoso (BRA), Ruchi Venkatesh (HK), Henriette Ishimwe (RWA), Iqra Sahar (HK)
Coach: Lydia Greenway (ENG) Assistant Coach: Najeeb Amar (UAE) Manager: Renee Montgomery (HK)
Falcons
Suzie Bates (c) (NZ), Danni Wyatt (ENG), Britney Cooper (WI), Marizanne Kapp (RSA), Mariko Hill (HK), Theertha Satish (UAE), Sornarin Tippoch (THAI), Kaia Arua (PNG), Nannapat Koncharoenkai (THAI), Christina Gough (GER), Gunjan Shukla (SWE), Marina Lamplough (HK), Chamari Athapaththu (SL), Anju Gurung (BHU), Jahanara Alam (BAN)
Coach: Joanne Broadbent (AUS) Manager: Saba Nasim (ENG),
Tornadoes
Stafanie Taylor (c) (WI), Sophie Devine (NZ), Sterre Kalis (NED), Andrea-Mae Zepeda (AUT), Katey Martin (NZ), Chanida Sutthiruang (THAI), Mary-Anne Musonda (ZIM), Sune Luus (RSA), Sita Rana Magar (NEP), Aliya Riaz (PAK), Divya Saxena (CAN), Winfred Duraisingam (MAL), Natasha Miles (HK), Maryam Bibi (HK), Diana Baig (PAK)
Coach: Anju Jain (IND) Assistant Coach: Jennifer Barden (UK) Manager: Chatrali Kalgutkar (UAE)
Spirit
Bismah Maroof (c) (PAK), Sophia Dunkley (ENG), Nicola Carey (AUS), Chaya Mughal (UAE), Betty Chan (HK), Sarah Bryce (SCO), Nattakan Chantam (THAI), GK Diviya (SGP), Nattaya Boochatham (THAI), Anuradha Doddaballapur (GER), Sophie Ecclestone (ENG), Ayabonga Khaka (RSA), Fatuma Kibasu (TAN), Shizuka Miyaji (JAP), Yasmin Daswani (HK)
Coach: Erin Osborne (AUS) Assistant Coach: Esther De Lange (NED) Manager: Vaishali Jesrani (OMN)
Sapphires
Sana Mir (PAK), Kim Garth (IRE), Kary Chan (HK), Shabnim Ismail (RSA), Tash Farrant (ENG), Geetika Kodali (USA), Maryam Omar (KUW), Shebani Bhaskar (USA), Babette de Leede (NED), Jade Allen (AUS), Elyse Villani (AUS), Gabby Lewis (IRE), Grace Harris (AUS), Emma Lai (HK), Christine Lovino (PHI)
Coach: Mauhtisham Rasheed (PAK) Assistant Coach: Hannah Trethewy (AUS) Manager: Sue Strachan (SCO)
Warriors
Sindhu Sriharsha (c) (USA), Hayley Matthews (WI), Georgia Redmayne (AUS), Mignon du Preez (RSA), Kathryn Bryce (SCO), Shamilia Connell (WI), Esha Oza (UAE), Udeshika Prabodhani (SL), Celeste Raack (IRE), Shameelah Mosweu (BW), Yasmeen Khan (NAM), Shanzeen Shahzad (HK), Bella Poon (HK), Mariana Martinez (ARG), Jennifer Alumbro (PHI)
Coach: Julia Price (USA) Assistant Coach: Sian Kelly (UK) Manager: Julie Abbott (USA)
Schedule (all matches in local time)
04th May 2022: Falcons vs Warriors (8pm)
05th May 2022: Tornadoes vs Sapphires (4pm), Barmy Army vs Spirit (8pm)
06th May 2022: Barmy Army vs Falcons (4pm), Tornadoes vs Warriors (8pm)
07th May 2022: Falcons vs Spirit (4pm), Warriors vs Sapphires (8pm)
08th May 2022: Spirit vs Sapphires (4pm), Tornadoes vs Barmy Army (8pm)
10th May 2022: Warriors vs Spirit (4pm), Barmy Army vs Sapphires (8pm)
11th May 2022: Sapphires vs Falcons (4pm), Tornadoes vs Spirit (8pm)
12th May 2022: Falcons vs Tornadoes (4pm), Barmy Army vs Warriors (8pm)
14th May 2022: Semi-final 1 (4pm), Semi-final 2 @8pm
15th May 2022: 3rd/4th Play-off (4pm) Final (8pm)
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