Star Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner is currently in England for The Hundred, her maiden stint, and during a recent interview with ESPN cricinfo’s Matt Roller she recalled her feelings after being bid for INR 3.2 crore to Gujarat Giants during the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction.
Gardner described her experience after being bid for INR 3.2 crore during the inaugural WPL auction as “totally bizarre” and something she never expected to happen in her career.
“It was totally bizarre,” Gardner tells ESPNcricinfo. “It was certainly something that I never thought would happen to me throughout my career.”
She emphasized how people are increasingly valuing women’s sports, particularly cricket, which she hopes is leading the way alongside soccer. Gardner highlighted the fantastic evolution of the women’s game over the past decade and expressed her excitement about being part of this progress.
Quoting Ashleigh Gardner, “People are buying into what the women’s game is, showcasing women in sport,” Gardner says. “Hopefully cricket is leading the way: I’m sure cricket and soccer are pretty close but to be involved in the women’s game at the moment, and the evolution from 10 years ago to now, it’s been fantastic.”
Her performance in the first two editions of the WPL have been solid, though not as much in the 2nd, featuring two half-centuries and a strike rate of 128.57 across 16 innings, alongside 17 wickets. Despite her consistent efforts, the franchise has unfortunately finished at the bottom in both seasons.
Gardner acknowledged the immense expectation that came with the high price tag from the inaugural WPL auction, stating that she felt the pressure to live up to it despite having no control over the amount.
Gardner said, “The ridiculous price tag that it came with certainly brought an expectation that I had to live up to,” Gardner says. “It was weird, because I had – obviously – nothing to do with the price tag that I was bought for. It was like, OK, there’s this expectation – but it’s probably a perceived pressure thing that I’m putting on myself, which I have no control over.”
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She admitted that she has not played to the best of her ability, which she found disappointing, but emphasized that the life-changing nature of the auction should not overshadow her focus on performing well for her team. Gardner tries to distance herself from the monetary figure, believing that consistent performance and contributing to her team’s success are far more important.
She further added, “I probably haven’t played to the best of my ability, which has been really disappointing… It was certainly life-changing, don’t get me wrong. But associating myself with that is probably something that I try to stay away from. It’s a number, at the end of the day. If I can keep performing and doing my best for the team, I think that’s more important than anything else.”
Gardner expressed her admiration for the success of The Hundred over the past few seasons, noting the impressive crowds it attracts, which have even made Australia envious. She highlighted how the strong fan turnout reflects the positive direction in which women’s cricket is heading in the country. Gardner also shared her excitement about playing at venues like Headingley and Manchester.
“What we’ve seen over the last few seasons is how successful it’s been. I know in Australia we’re pretty jealous of the crowds that they get. It just shows where women’s cricket is at the moment in this country: it’s going in leaps and bounds in the right direction, and it’s awesome to see fans turn out. I haven’t played at Headingley or in Manchester before, so that is super exciting,” Gardner said.
Gardner fondly recalls the early days of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) when double-headers were played, creating a one-club mentality by having women’s matches before the men’s. Gardner notes that the Hundred executes this concept well.
“When the WBBL was in its infancy, we used to play some double-headers, which I really love. It’s a one-club mentality, when you get to play before the men. Obviously here, they do it so well,” she said.
She anticipates a potential shift in Australia towards this format to enhance crowd engagement and fan involvement, despite some strong opinions against it. Gardner hopes to leverage the men’s games to grow the brand, acknowledging the fantastic job the men do in attracting fans.
Gardner expressed, “I can potentially see it changing again in Australia: in terms of crowds and being able to get the fans involved, it probably will end up going towards that. Some people are strongly opinionated on that not happening, so the women have free reign in that space of the year. But I think in terms of growing the brand, the men do a fantastic job and hopefully we can leverage that.”
Gardner is focused on helping the Trent Rockets recover from a slow start and reach the knockout stages of The Hundred. As an international player, she acknowledges the expectation that comes with being picked and emphasizes the importance of being a good teammate, hoping this will lead to on-field success.
“As an international player, there’s always that expectation. You’re picked up for a reason, and it’s about making sure I’m a good team-mate as well. Hopefully, that leads to success on the field,” Gardner stated.
Gardner highlighted she also has the upcoming World Cup in mind, recognizing the vastly different conditions but believing that maintaining her processes will allow her to be successful for both her and the Australian team in the World Cup.
Gardner said, “And then I guess just having in the back of my mind the World Cup, which actually isn’t that far away. It’s going to be polar opposite conditions, but if my processes stay the same, there’s no reason why I can’t be successful – both for myself and for my team going into that World Cup for Australia.”
(Quotes sourced from ESPNcricinfo)