When the Canada Super 60 cricket league announced its inaugural Women’s Trophy would carry the name of Mel Jones, the news felt bigger than just cricket. It was a nod to a career that has spanned continents, formats, and roles—player, commentator, advocate—and to a woman whose voice has consistently stood up for the game and those who play it.
Canada Super 60 is set to make history this October at Vancouver’s BC Place, becoming the world’s first-ever ten-over-a-side competition to launch with both men’s and women’s tournaments right from the start. From October 8–13, 2025, international stars will share the stage with Canadian talent under the stadium’s famous roof.
But the league wants to be more than just another event in cricket’s crowded calendar. Its founders are determined to ensure that women’s cricket gets its moment in the spotlight. Each year, the Women’s Trophy will bear the name of a legendary figure in the women’s game, honouring those who paved the way while inspiring the next generation.
For year one, the choice was clear: Mel Jones.
Jones’s playing career was impressive in its own right. Representing Australia, she appeared in 61 ODIs and 5 T20Is, scoring 1,028 and 251 runs respectively. She was a stylish top-order batter, consistent and composed, who left her mark in an era when women’s cricket received little of the attention it commands today.
But what elevates her legacy is everything that came after. As a broadcaster, she has become one of the most trusted voices in the game. As an advocate, she has fought tirelessly for visibility and equality in women’s cricket. And as a humanitarian, she has shown the power of sport to change lives.
Few moments illustrate that better than her response to the Taliban takeover in 2021. At a time when the dreams of Afghanistan’s women cricketers were collapsing, Jones stepped in. She helped coordinate their evacuation to Australia, secured resources for them, and co-founded the Pitch Our Future initiative, ensuring their education and sporting careers could continue.
Thanks to those efforts, most of the Afghan team now lives in Australia, while others have found new homes in the United Kingdom and Canada. In fact, two players are now based in Canada after the government supported their refugee applications—proof of how Jones’s work has rippled across borders and lives.
This year, her contribution was formally recognised with the MCC Spirit of Cricket Award in 2025. But perhaps nothing could be more fitting than having her name etched onto a trophy that will be lifted by women cricketers in Canada, a country still discovering the full potential of the game.
Jones admitted the recognition was deeply personal, but her excitement came from the bigger picture, “To have the Women’s Trophy named after me is something very special. What excites me most is the vision behind this initiative – creating more opportunities and visibility for women’s cricket, especially in associate nations.”
And she looked forward to the day when Canadian cricket produces its own icons worthy of such a tribute, “Platforms like Canada Super 60 will inspire and empower a new generation of players. My hope is that one day, a Canadian cricket legend will have this trophy named after them, as the women’s game continues to grow in this country.”
For Abhishek Shah, Founder and Chairman of Canada Super 60, Jones’s story embodies the spirit the league wants to promote, “Mel’s leadership as a cricketer, broadcaster, and champion of women’s cricket has been exceptional. Her role in helping Afghan cricketers during a time of crisis is an inspiring example of what it means to use sport as a force for good.”
The presentation of the Canada Super 60 Women’s Trophy at BC Place will be more than just a ceremonial moment. It will be a celebration of resilience, of cricket’s power to transcend borders, and of the game’s future in a country where it is still finding its footing.
By naming the trophy after Mel Jones, Canada Super 60 is sending a message: women’s cricket is not an afterthought, but a movement. And behind that movement are voices like Jones’s—voices that don’t just comment on the game, but shape its future.
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