Interview with Nicole Monteiro – Hockey Player, Teacher and now a Cricketer at Brazil Women’s Cricket Team

1) Which year did you begin your journey with Brazil women’s cricket? 

I started playing in 2018.

2) Which other sport did you play in your childhood? What made you stick to hockey and cricket?

I did athletics. I enjoyed my 100m, 200m relay sprints, at one stage I played some football and even some rugby. I remember my dad telling me as a kid I would have to choose one sport because I wouldn’t be able to do both. I felt I had a point to prove and stuck to hockey and cricket as it was two sports I loved to play. 

3) Tell us about your growing-up days. Were you raised in Brazil or South Africa? How did you manage your education alongside cricket?

I grew up in Strand, South Africa. It’s a small city just outside Cape Town. Both my parents are Brazilian so cricket to them was strange, but cricket for me started at a young age – street cricket with the dust bin, cricket bat, tennis ball and the neighbourhood kids. I was always the only girl playing with the boys. I actually only started playing with girls when I reached high school. I was lucky to have a sport fanatic father who would always remind me that there is a time for everything, time to play, time to study and time to eat, so I was able to manage my education alongside my cricket well.

4) What caught your attention towards the sport? What fascinated you about cricket?

Well growing up in South Africa, cricket is quite popular, going to Newlands to watch Herschel Gibbs hit sixes sitting in the crowd soaking in the atmosphere definitely caught my attention to the sport, but what made me fascinated definitely has to be Jonty Rhodes and his athleticism.

5) Any inspiration that the girls in Brazil cricket follows? 

The fact that the girls know they can represent their country keeps them inspired! 

6) Do you think the cricket in Brazil is ready to be taken up as a  profession? What else do you day apart from being a national player in the side? 

Maybe not right now, but as this sport is growing hopefully in the future yes, when cricket gets added into the Olympics! Apart from a national cricket player, I also play national hockey for Brazil as well as teach english.

7) Are there any contractual payments for the players decided by the Brazil Board? How do you cover the daily expenses? 

As cricket is not seen as a professional sport in Brazil, at the moment there are no contractual payments, but the Brazil Board does support where they can in order for us to have competitions within Brazil. As a teacher I do manage to cover my finances!

8) Where do you buy these cricket kits from? How much does it cost?

As there is no cricket shop in Brazil we have to import equipment but there are always friends coming back from the UK etc, that are always willing to help out to bring back some kit to make expensive a bit cheaper.

9) What is it that is holding back the team from coming up at the international level under the ICC?

So in order to reach that requirements, we need 10 teams playing competitively in Brazil. We are working towards that.

10) Which was the recent tournament that the girls played in Brazil? Any upcoming fixtures / tournaments for the Brazilian team? 

We had recently played the national tournament which was a huge success for Brazilian women’s cricket, upcoming fixtures will be the second round of the Brazilian nationals. And in October the Brazilian team will get together to play in the South-American tournament in Peru.

11) What changes do you think can revolutionise cricket in Brazil?

Well of course, money to help develop cricket all over in Brazil. 

12) How has the response been from M.A.D Cricket campaign? 

Excellent!!

13) How often do you all train throughout the year? What’s a cricket calendar look like?

Ofcourse we all train within our clubs, as women’s cricket is developing, we play 2 national tournaments from there a team gets selected to play for Brazil in the south American tournament.

14) What are some of the struggles that the team and players have gone through their journey?

The fact that cricket in Brazil is not professional, self funding is normally a struggle.

15) Name the coaching and support staff who are currently working with Brazil women’s cricket?