In an episode of “Around the Globe with Female Cricket,” Xara Jetly delves into her roots in cricket, her journey as an off-spin bowler, the various experiences that have shaped her career, and her views on red-ball cricket. She opens up about the profound influence her parents had in guiding her toward cricket, particularly her father’s role in steering her toward the sport after netball proved not to be the right fit.
Xara reflects on her early career milestones, such as securing her first cricket contract at 17, and shares her evolution from a medium-pace bowler to a specialist off-spinner. With candid reflections on overcoming setbacks, thriving under pressure, and her admiration for players like Charlie Dean and Nathan Lyon, Xara offers a captivating look into her personal and professional growth, along with her aspirations to don the White Ferns jersey one day.
On her roots in Cricket:
Xara Jetly shared how her mother has been a massive inspiration in her sporting journey. Her mother had initially wanted Xara to be the next sensation in netball from New Zealand, but the reply came that Xara was too short for that game. Her father helped channel her energies into another direction, and cricket became just the right fit. In due course, Xara grew to cherish cricket so much that it has brought her to where she is today.
Xara describes her entry into cricket saying, “My dad turned around and said, ‘Okay, well you’re good at sport, so we need to find a sport that you’re good at,’ and cricket seemed to kind of stick with me, and I’ve fallen in love with it more and more. So, here I am now.”
She remembered the time when her first cricket contract came in, she was 17. Her parents were with her when the telephone call came, and seeing the calm joy on their faces was very special to her. Xara insisted that she’s here to make her parents proud and is still doing so, though there are ups and downs. Both her parents are equally proud of her cricket career, and they can now boast summers full of cricket sport they all enjoy.
On becoming an Off-Spinner Bowler:
Xara Jetly said she had initially started off as a medium-pace bowler and away swing specialist. It was something that had been told around 14 or 15 years that she wasn’t tall enough to be a quick bowler and made her transition into off-spin bowling. She started perfecting her craft of spin at 16 and remarked not getting it right yet, but with the help of her coaches, she is still working on perfecting her skills.
Xara said, “It’s something that I tried to master at 16 and I’m still not there yet, so we’ll get there and turn the ball a bit more one day.”
She credits two coaches, Ivan Tessera, and her present head coach Lance Dry who stayed with her persistently to work at the way she spins the ball. Coming to her favorite off-spinners, Xara spoke highly of Charlie Dean about her technical capability on the field and named Sophie Ecclestone, though a left-arm spinner, along with Nathan Lyon whose action she tries emulating. She also admires Amelia Kerr for the fact that she works super hard and turns the ball really well, and being surrounded by such talent has been inspiring for her in a way as she cut out her own niche in spin bowling.
She mentioned, “Charlie Dean is a fantastic off-spinner in the women’s game, and I think she’s fantastic technically, through the crease, her energy, and her presence and she spins the ball a lot… and Nathan Lyon’s another one where I’m always looking at Nathan Lyon’s action. It’s something I’m trying to recreate myself, but I think I’ve got my own way of spinning the ball and I think it’s about trying to figure out what looks right for me.”
On different experiences around cricket:
Xara Jetly reflects upon her experience of playing cricket in England, now in her second season, both challenging and rewarding. She speaks about playing men’s cricket, which is a true test of her mental strength, and occasionally women’s cricket, too. To her, this diverse experience has given her a new outlook toward cricket, as she has been able to work with different coaches and gain valuable insights into her playing style.
Xara said, “This is my second season in England, and it’s been awesome. I have played a lot of men’s cricket and that really challenges me mentally and that’s kind of why I do it.”
Ultimately, she wants to be a ‘White Fern’ for New Zealand’s women’s cricket team. She knows that she will be expected to sacrifice time away from her family and challenge herself out of her comfort zone in New Zealand. Now, she is focused on training hard, playing hard, working hard in England for the dream to represent her country.
Further reflecting on her goal she mentioned, “I want to become a White Fern one day and so I’m going to have to sacrifice time for my family and my comfortable situation in New Zealand and really start kind of thinking outside the box.”
For Xara Jetly, it has been quite a journey with the Wellington Blaze-a journey that started when she joined at 16 years of age and landed a contract at 17. As she heads into her sixth season, this is how she describes it: full of ups and downs, that, she says, is just part of cricket, that brought her into professional cricket early in her life, and with it came both physical and mental challenges which she had to rise through as a player and human being.
She said, “A lot of ups and a lot of downs and I think that’s cricket for you in a nutshell.”
She is grateful for the hard-working environment in Wellington Blaze, where every player knows their role inside out. With Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, and Maddy Green among other top players surrounding her, she feels privileged to be part of a successful team that looks out for each other, as seen from the competitions in Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HJS), a domestic 50-over competition, and Super Smash, a T20 competition.
She said, “I knew what it meant to be a professional cricketer, both in my head and my body, and it has pushed my limits and my boundaries, so it has really made me a better human being. I’m really happy.”
Her proud moments in her career include getting the wicket of Suzie Bates, one that she always looked up to as a youngster. She says it was almost surreal and sometimes humbling, but now the effort has to be to improve and be just as good, if not better, than the top players she got a chance to play against. Xara ends by emphasizing how fortunate and grateful she feels for the opportunities and experiences she has had so far.
One of the most defining moments regarding cricket would have to be for Xara Jetly, who, in the Super Smash against Central Districts, defended 13 runs in the 20th over by taking two wickets and tying the match with the last ball. In reflection, she says it was her career high and how much mental toughness it meant to her to handle such pressure.
Exclaiming, “That game I will never forget. I think that is the best thing to have happened ever in my cricketing career.”
She explains that after her first wicket, she felt that her expectations soared and complacency set in, leading to a couple of full tosses and short balls that were hit for boundaries. Then, fear and trepidation set in, and she literally began to shake with the fear of letting her team down. But before the final ball, she reflected a second on how well she had prepared and trusted her abilities. She actually told herself, ‘Just bowl the best ball, like you have done all season,’ and she did, snatching that last wicket to take the tie and her team into the final.
“I did shake physically because I was in fear and in worry that I let my team down, but before that ball when I bowled them out, I had reflected on my preparation and trusted myself and my skills,” she said. “I needed to bowl my best ball and that’s all that matters.”
Even now, an excited and ecstatic Xara gets emotional over that moment of pulling off such a high-pressure moment. She puts the success down to all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, which allows her to perform in pressure situations. Though part of the Wellington Blaze squad with bigger names all over the place, Xara was considered one of the smaller names, and this was her opportunity to make her mark. She says she was set up perfectly for finishing the job to help her team reach the final by her teammates, like Amelia Kerr and Leigh Kasperek, with their efforts in bowling.
“I said to myself, don’t let down this side. You’ve done everything you possibly can for this moment. Bowl her out, and I said that word for word and I got her out and I just can’t believe it worked.” Xara said, expressing her feelings.
Dealing with setbacks and pressure situations:
Large setbacks that she has experienced in her career include the non-selection to the White Ferns and New Zealand North vs. South series. However, she looks at all these as opportunities to get on with doing better, and her ambition is pretty high, unmatched by anything in the vicinity. She describes her setbacks as motivation to work harder, with each year bringing a renewed drive and focus. She also had to cope with performance anxiety and panic attacks, which were increased with high expectations and pressure from social media. She worked with a sports psychologist to develop coping strategies, including breathing techniques and mental control, which have greatly improved her mental well-being.
Xara shared how she dealt with setbacks saying, “I think every season has been a little bit of a setback. Not getting a call-up for the White Ferns or the New Zealand North vs. South series, that’s probably been one of the biggest setbacks for me, and it’s only gonna make me stronger.”
The experiences of obstacle hurdling have toughened Xara; she is, in her own words, more resilient than ever. She even opened up on her performance anxiety and panic attacks during her time in the Blaze. She added that with social media and a plethora of expectations, these issues caused quite a level of stress. Even with this, she did not allow it to reflect in her overall performance, though it did bring her low during a tough third year. Through working with a sports psychologist, Xara improved her techniques via breathing exercises and understanding her mental zones to better her mindset. She believes she is in the best mental space now compared to any other time in her career and has seen considerable improvement in well-being.
Xara further expressed, “(How) I deal with setbacks is, I see it as an opportunity to just get better and better and I’m never really put down in a hole and if I am, it’s only for maybe an hour or two because I know what I need to do. I’m focused and I know what’s required to get there, to get to the top, and I will do it.”
Views on Red-ball Cricket:
Xara Jetly expresses her love for Test cricket, emphasizing how much she would cherish the opportunity to play it. She feels strongly about the format, describing her enthusiasm as almost sacrificial. Xara notes that New Zealand’s current focus is on mastering One Day Internationals (ODIs), and while Test cricket is not the priority right now, she is hopeful that it will gain more prominence in the future.
She then went on to add how much she loves Test cricket, sharing, “Oh my gosh, yes! I love Test cricket so much! I would love playing Test cricket that would mean I would die for Test cricket”.
She enjoys watching Test series of teams like Australia, England, and India, finding it a great educator and inspiration, and feels this will help New Zealand’s cricketing ambitions. Meanwhile, the experience is good from playing some red-ball cricket in England’s men’s game, which is different but good work. Xara remains hopeful that, in due time, Test cricket will feature more as part of New Zealand’s cricketing landscape, and she looks forward to this development.
She further added, “I think it’s really good in terms of educational purposes and kind of what we’re looking at in the future and I hope in the future that Test cricket will come our way.”