Archives: Episode

Georgie Heath is refreshing, honest, and speaks her mind, something I love in female sport writers and commentators. Based in London, Georgie is a sport commentator who has worked around the world bringing her voice to some thrilling cricket matches, la crosse games, netball tournaments and other sporting competitions. She is also a podcast host; sport writer and reporter and I am thrilled to have her on the podcast today.
Georgie shares with us the challenges and insights in to what it takes to be in the sport commentary space. We also discuss the reality of females in the commentary box (and lack thereof), and how women have to work harder in certain spaces. From her homesickness at boarding school to her hospitalisation years later, Georgie openly shares about how cricket has helped her through the darkest times. We also talk a lot about our sport experiences and our pet peeves on the nature of commentary and the sexism that still exist in the space. Some rare, radical insight from two passionate cricket lovers, this episode is your behind the scenes eavesdrop in the conversations you never get to hear. “What do the penguins at Boulders beach have to do with Laura Wolvaardt? What competition did Georgie win that propelled her into the commentary space?” Tune in and find out.

Cricket is more than just a sport for players, spectators and fans, it’s a powerful tool that can change the narrative of life for so many, and Akther Jahan Khan knows this personally. Arriving in Germany as a foreigner, she found connection through her love of cricket.
On the show, we discuss Akther’s lifelong love and journey in cricket, her role as sport director for cricket development, and her position as captain and officer for the Bundesliga women’s team in Bayern. We also chat about how she uses cricket in schools to expose children, especially young girls to cricket, and how cricket has helped refugees cope with stress and integration. As a trainer and coach in international schools, as well as a trainer and organiser of indoor and outdoor cricket tournaments, Akther is confident that cricket will grow in Germany. What do her programs for youth look like and what does she think about the future of international cricket in Germany especially for women? Catch it all here in this week’s episode.

She holds the world record for the most stumpings in a single innings of a cricket match. She also plays for the Netherlands women’s national cricket team and is in her third season of playing for the Western Province women’s team in Cape Town South Africa. My guest on She Speaks Sport today is Babette de Leede.
On the show, we talk about her cricket lineage, from her grandparents meeting at a cricket match, to her uncle and cousin playing international cricket for the Netherlands. Babette talks us through her incredible participation in the Fairbreak Tournament when she formed an integral part of the Sapphires team, and made history with her quick gloves and fast stumping. She lets us in on how she feels about playing for Western Province, and how she balances completing her master’s degree while playing cricket and dreaming of bigger things for the years that lie ahead. How did she feel watching the auction for the inaugural Women’s Cape Premier League and the amount paid for her to join the team? And what is on her vision board for 2024? Get to know the overseas player who is making her mark in the Western Province cricket team, right here.

Passionate and filled with wisdom, my guest on She Speaks Sport today is former UAE women’s captain and women’s cricket development officer Chaya Mughal. Chaya not only led the national team but also served as the UAE U-19 assistant coach for the inaugural U-19 World Cup which took place in South Africa in 2023. She has also been a part of the Fairbreak Invitational Tournament and captained the UAE national team in over 42 consecutive matches.

On the show, we reflect on Chaya’s passion for cricket and the development of the game for women in UAE. Drawing from her long career as a leader on and off the field, we talk about leadership qualities and her life’s values and wisdom. The Fairbreak Invitational Tournament is always a highlight and Chaya describes her time at the tournament and how she learnt a lot personally from Sophie Devine. What did she think of the U-19 tournament in South Africa and what did she learn from the South African people themselves? Her touching sentiments about South Africans is especially moving. Chaya also shares about the development of women’s cricket in the UAE, as well as her teams win in the Asia qualifier trophy, where UAE finally beat Thailand in a dramatic 6 run victory. Her final tournament before retiring from her illustrious international career.