From the highs of the T20 World Cup in 2020 to being out of international action for months due to injury, this all-rounder from South Africa has been on a roller coaster ride. Keeping injuries at bay for now, she has resumed playing international cricket. Last year she was also a part of the inaugural Women’s Hundred in England.
In an exclusive chat with Female Cricket, South Africa’s hard-hitting batter Chloe Tryon talks about South Africa’s T20 World Cup journey, her comeback after the injury and more.
Excerpts.
South Africa has had a great run in the recent past, including reaching the semi-finals in the T20 World Cup in 2020. What has changed for you personally after the World Cup?
It was a matter of pride for us to reach the semi-finals of the World T20 in 2020. We played well as a team in the tournament and reaped the sweet fruits of our hard work. After the T20 World Cup, there was almost no cricketing action due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown. I used that time for my overall development with respect to my game, fitness, and mental strength. Last couple of years has been like a roller coaster with ups and downs. Fortunately, the last two months have been good. I am injury-free. But the last couple of months has been good. I am injury-free. Now I am focusing on the upcoming West Indies series and of course the 50-over World Cup.
In 2021, you played in the inaugural Women’s Hundred. You were a part of the London Spirit. How was the experience?
The Hundred is a fantastic format that will certainly promote women’s cricket. I enjoyed playing the tournament. There were players from different nationalities which made the experience even more enjoyable.
I could learn a lot from the competition. There were a lot of positives that I took away from the Hundred. Also, it was amazing to see large crowds coming to the stadiums to cheer us. People from different age groups were there and it was really nice to see people supporting us. I am glad that just like the men cricketers, we, women cricketers could also entertain the spectators. I am sure with such exposure, the day is not too far when the budding cricketers, boys or girls, will have women cricketers as their role models.
How have the foreign leagues like the Hundred and WBBL helped you as a player?
Playing such foreign leagues help you a lot as a player. You get different experiences and insights as there are players from all around the world in your team. It is an exciting process. Players tend to benefit a lot from such tournaments. For example, we have Anneke Bosch, who came out as an altogether different player after representing the Brisbane Heat in the WBBL.
In case we have a full-fledged women’s IPL in the future, on similar lines as the men’s IPL, which team would you like to be a part of?
I would like to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. I have always supported them so if I get a chance to play in the women’s IPL, I would like to play for them.
Last year, South Africa played three international series. However, you featured in just the one against West Indies, missing the other two due to injuries. How did it feel to resume cricket after a break?
It was great to be back to playing international cricket. After being away from the action for a few months, I was happy to be back. During the break, I got time to work on my game, my fitness as well as on improving my mental strength.
How has South African women’s cricket evolved over the years?
The South African women’s cricket team has evolved a lot over the years. I remember when I had joined we used to have just one camp in a year before an international series. We as a team used to meet just once before the tournament. Now things have changed and they have changed for good. We have training camps across the year. We are away from home for almost nine months in a year. Cricket South Africa is doing a fantastic job, both for domestic players and international players. The Board looks after the players. They have a very professional approach and because of that I feel South African cricket is doing well.
You are one of the few South African female cricketers to have played a Test match. Do you enjoy Test cricket?
Yes, I love playing red-ball cricket. I also love watching Test matches. Some people say that Test cricket is boring, but I disagree with them. I enjoy watching the longest format of the game. I
am lucky that I got the chance to play Test cricket. It is one of the best formats of the game. You get to learn a lot during the course of the match. I hope that we as a team get more chances to play Test matches. It will be exciting for South African women’s cricket.
You are known to be one of the hardest-hitting batters in the world of women’s cricket. How do you work on this ability of yours?
Honestly, I do not work specifically to be a hard-hitting batter. I think attacking and aggressive batting come naturally to me. Having said that, I work in the nets on specific shots I want to add to my repertoire. I also practice certain batting positions that I want to get when I play the shot. Apart from this, I feel having an aggressive mindset to be a hard-hitting batter is important.
Being a hard-hitting batter yourself, who do you enjoy watching bat?
I love watching AB de Villers, Mr. 360. He makes batting look so easy and effortless.
It seems that you enjoy batting against India. You have your highest ODI average against them. Do you enjoy batting against India?
(Smiles) Yes, I remember my first half-century in ODI cricket came against India in Bengaluru. I enjoy batting against them. India is a quality side and one of the best in the world of women’s cricket. It is always challenging to play against them as they have some of the best players in their ranks. When you are up against daunting opposition, you are likely to put up your A-game. In my case, I try to give more than 100% when I am playing against India.
The year 2022 is an action-packed one for you and South Africa, with the West Indies series, World Cup and Commonwealth Games coming up this year
This year feels a lot different with so much cricket coming up. We play the West Indies at home from January 28. The four ODIs that we play against them will help us in preparing ourselves for the World Cup that starts in March. We hope that this series helps us to fix our combinations, hone our skills, and strengthen our mindset ahead of the World Cup.
How is the mood in the South African camp ahead of the World Cup?
The mood is pretty good in the South African camp. Everyone is in a good space. We have a good bunch of senior and young players in the side. We are spending a lot of time training together, which has helped us to gel well as a team.
Watch the Full Interview with Chloe Tryon here
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.