Being a professional cricketer is really tough, you have to practice daily, train and exercise daily, and maintain your physical levels throughout your career. Along with being a professional athlete, one more field which is very difficult to break into, which requires lots of perseverance and mental strength is being a doctor. The demanding nature of the medical field is something not everyone is able to cope with.
There are a few remarkable women cricketers who have also pursued a degree in the field of medicine. These remarkable women inspire not only through their cricketing prowess but also through their commitment to healing and health care. Combining the challenging roles of a professional cricketer and a doctor is not easy. But these women have proved that, with the right determination, they can succeed in both fields.
1) Janet Ronalds (Germany – Physiotherapist)
Janet is an Australian-born cricketer who plays for the German national side. Janet has worn the German national colours a total of 32 times, scoring 584 runs from 28 innings in the shortest format of the game. In 2020, Janet became the first German player (male or female) to score a T20I hundred.
Janet completed her bachelor’s of Physiotherapy from the University of Melbourne. She started her physiotherapy career in Melbourne in 2008 before moving to England for 5 years between 2011-2016. In 2018, Janet shifted to Germany, the country for which she made her international debut in 2019.
2) Anuradha Doddaballapur (Germany – Cardiovascular scientist)
Indian-born Anuradha Doddaballapur is currently the captain of the German National team. She made her debut for the German team in 2022. She has played for Germany for a total of 28 times. She has 315 runs from 22 innings, while also picking 27 wickets in the same time period. In 2020, Anuradha became the first women player to pick 4 wickets from successive balls.
Anuradha obtained her Engineering degree in Biotechnology from a college in Bangalore. She later shifted to England to pursue a master’s degree in Medical Genetics. After completing her master’s, she moved to Frankfurt, Germany to do a Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Biology. Since then, she has permanently settled in Germany.
3) Stephanie Teresa Frohnmayer (Germany – Gynaecologist)
Stephanie, an England-born cricketer made her debut for Germany in 2009. She was Germany’s first-ever Women’s captain. She captained Germany for 8 years. Stephanie played a total of 26 matches for the German national team, scoring a total of 157 runs from 22 innings while also picking 12 wickets.
Stephanie is also a notable Gynaecologist in her country. She completed her medical degree in Gynaecology from Austria. After completing her degree, she has been practising Gynaecology in Munich, Germany.
4) Veronica Vasquez (Argentina – Anesthesiologist)
Argentinian Captain Veronica made her debut for her country in 2019 against Peru. She has played a total of 19 matches for Argentina, amassing a total of 267 runs from 18 innings.
Along with being a professional cricketer, Veronica is also an anesthesiologist in Argentina. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Veronica worked at Fiorito Hospital in the capital city of Buenos Aires.
5) Andrea-Mae Zepeda (Austria – Medical Doctor)
Austria’s Andrea-Mae Zepeda captained Austria in its first-ever Women’s T20I match. She has played a total of 28 innings, scoring a whopping 796 runs, she has also picked up 10 wickets in those innings. In 2021, She became the first ever Austrian Women cricketer to score a century in WT20I.
Off the field, Zepeda is a notable medical doctor in Austria. She juggles both her professions really well, as well as gives equal time to both professions.