(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)
Esha Oza was brimming with pride on Sunday after being named ICC Women's Associate Cricketer of the Year.
A dashing right-handed batter, the UAE women's team captain is a prolific scorer in T20 Internationals, having amassed 711 runs last year.
The 27-year-old was third highest scorer in T20 Internationals last year with only Sri Lankan stalwart Chamari Athapaththu (720) and Indian superstar Smriti Mandhana (763) ahead of her on the top run-getters list.
Naturally, Oza was delighted with her ICC award, the second of her career following the first one in 2023.
The opener, who came tantalisingly close to earning the UAE a place in the 2024 ICC Women's World Cup with a magnificent 66 off 44 balls against Sri Lanka in the Global Qualifiers semifinal, hopes her ICC recognition will usher in a new era of growth for women's cricket in the country.
In an interview with the Khaleej Times, the batting all-rounder also opened up about her dreams of playing in the star-studded Women's Premier League (WPL).
Q. How does it feel to receive this prestigious ICC award for the second time?
It's a privilege and an honour to win the award for the second time. The first time was obviously special, but to do it again is very special. I'm thrilled.
Q. You have been super consistent with the bat. You also played some fantastic innings against bigger and more experienced teams. What's the secret to your consistency?
I think in 2024 I played with a bit more freedom than I normally used to. I think leading this team, I wanted to lead from the front with a brand of cricket that we want to play. And, yeah, the support staff has been really supportive, and they've always backed me to play the way I want to. And I'm happy I was able to do what I did and the way I wanted to do it.
Q. Do you think this ICC recognition will inspire a lot of young female cricketers in the UAE?
Yeah. I'm really hoping this inspires a lot more young girls to take up cricket in the UAE. I think women's cricket is definitely on the rise all over the globe, and I think it's the same in the UAE as well. We're seeing many more young girls picking up a bat and ball and going out to play the sport because they love playing it, and they enjoy playing it, and that's something that's really going to help grow women's cricket in this region further.
Q. Do you have dreams of becoming the first UAE cricketer to be picked by a WPL franchise?
Yeah, definitely playing in the WPL. That's a goal that I have set for myself. If I become the first, second or third UAE cricketer to play the WPL that would be an honour. So yeah, the more UAE players get to play, the happier I would be and I am just hoping that we get that opportunity soon.
Q. What are your goals as a UAE captain in 2025? Where do you want to see the team?
The goal for me as UAE captain for 2025 is obviously to get ODI status. We currently only play T20 internationals, and we're working towards getting the 50-over status. So yeah, we would want to work towards getting that so we get to play many more international games, not just T20s, but the 50-over format as well. Again, we need to keep working on our T20 game and make our way through to the 2026 T20 World Cup. We've been improving our game over the past couple of years.
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