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Cricketfundas.com Interviews: Nelly Williams |
I didn't know that West Indies had a women's
Cricket team too, I came to know about this only
when the West Indies women toured India and
Pakistan recently. One player from the West
Indies stood up and impressed one and all and
that was Nelly Williams. Nelly Williams is the
opening batswoman for West Indies and hails from
Trinidad and Tobago, the place of Brian Charles
Lara.
From the Editor
Cricketfundas.com's Gargi Banerjee, former
Indian Women's Cricketer had a good chat with
Nelly to bring out this interview :
 Gargi
Banerjee : Nelly Williams, why and when did you
start playing cricket and when did you first
represent the West Indies.
Nelly Williams : Well I started playing
cricket in the year 1992-93, when I was a 13
year old. My mom was instrumental in my cricket,
she used to play cricket and she got me to play
the game literally by force. My ODI debut was
against Sri Lanka women in 2003.
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Pic Courtesy :
Trinidad Express |
Gargi Banerjee: Nelly
do you play County and Club cricket in England?
Nelly Williams : Well Gargi, I
am the second women cricketer from West Indies
to play county & club cricket in England and for
me that experience is very beneficial,
especially for the preparation for the Women's
World Cup in 2005 in South Africa.
Gargi Banerjee : Tell
us about your performances in India and
Pakistan, when the West Indies toured last year.
Nelly Williams : I scored a 50 runs in
the first warm up match in Asansol in India and
to me that was the start of my very consistent
batting performances. And then I scored 28
against India at Jamsedpur Feb 2004 and also
scored 41 runs at Eden Gardens Kolkata March
2004. At Karachi, 21-Mar-2004, I scored 53 runs
at Ali Shah Stadium, and on 02-Apr-2004 scored
30 runs.
Gargi Banerjee : Can
you tell us about the Association running
Women's Cricket in West Indies?
Nelly Williams : Women's cricket in the
West Indies is a work in progress that could end
up in time to be a very profitable and an
exciting prospect for the sport in time to
come.The West Indies Women Federation is working
really hard to get the best for the team for the
2005 world cup. We don't get paid for playing
cricket but we are promised in time to come,
that we would get some financial assistance.
Then we would no longer be just 'call cricket
players' but 'professional cricket players',
which we should or would want to achieve in the
'not too distant' future.
Gargi Banerjee: Why did
you choose to play cricket?
Nelly Williams : Good question, I didn't
choose cricket, I think cricket choose me,
because I feel at times that I should quit and
stuff like that and yet even my negative mode
towards the cricket at times still don't phase
the way I play.
Gargi Banerjee: Tell us
about the club you play for in England and your
performances.
Nelly Williams : Well I played for
Sheffield United Club in England and my first
game I went in at no. 6. I would never forget
that I was really disappointed but I came out 34
not out and by the next game i went in, my
position which is as an opener and i made 34
again by my 3rd game i made my highest score of
71. So by each game I played better than the
last game and mind you every team we played as
we go along, I found hard and more current
England players.
Gargi Banerjee: What do
you think about the present scenario in women's
cricket?
Nelly Williams : Well as women, i think
that we have a lot to offer, I see no difference
with the men and women. Women's cricket has
become more technical, more interesting, all in
all the look of women cricket now and say 10
years ago is like 2 different games. As i always
say we can learn from men's cricket at least
learn from the successes, they are a good
product, they are well marketed, well supported
and well organized.
Gargi Banerjee: Who do
you think are the best three women cricketers
right now?
Nelly Williams : Laura Newton and Lucy
Pearson from England and Mithali Raj of India,
well they are players that I see can change the
game.
Gargi Banerjee: How
much support or moral boost you get from your
family?
Nelly Williams : Well I get a lot from my
mother, she is my main supporter.
Gargi Banerjee : Now
tell me Nelly, how are you preparing for the
2005 World Cup?
Nelly Williams : Well currently, we are
training 4 times a week and have games on sunday
against men and in 9 days all the West Indies'
players come together for a camp, which would be
held in my country Trinidad. But presently I am
injured, and had a doctor's appointment
yesterday, he said that I have tendonitis in the
shoulder and it is bad, but not too bad for
surgery. I am put on physio and some pills and
rest for 3 weeks so by then i am hopeful to be
100 percent, I must tell you this feels really
weird not playing because all along the year I
have worked hard and to have this happen now is
kind of weird. Well I am hopeful within a week's
time I will be back on the field. I am the one
who thinks that I must be out there always
fighting the battle because I feel I have so
much to offer.
Gargi Banerjee: Do you
have a personal cricket coach?
Nelly Williams : Well Gargi, if I tell
you that I coached myself, what would you say?
No one told me to do this, do that they just say
try this and that, but i never had a coach,
personal or other wise to teach me cricket. I
think for myself, I play from what I reckon
would or should be the right way. And before I
went to England, I was at the top of my game and
I was like where should I go from here and in
there, no one told me anything because they saw
no big fault and I guess all I got to do is put
it together and just try to be the best…
Gargi Banerjee: Any
Message for Cricketfundas.com.
Nelly Williams : I visited the site and I
liked it, I must say it is INFORMATIVE. Thank
you very much to cricketfundas.com and thank you
Gargi Banerjee for sharing my views...
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