Isa Guha: "When I am at Wimbledon, it really is so magical being there" but "cricket is always going to be my home, though"
Isa Guha told The Hindu in an interview at Lord’s published on August 15, 2026 that "When I am at Wimbledon, it really is so magical being there" but added "Cricket is always going to be my home, though." The conversation covered her playing career, transition into broadcasting and her charity work off the field.
Guha, the first female cricketer of South Asian origin to play for England, took 148 international wickets across formats in a nine-year career with her seam bowling and was part of England’s 2009 World Cup-winning side; in the final she dismissed Kate Pulford. "It is incredible really that it has been 17 years already," she said, adding she looks back on her career "With so much pride."
On moving into media, Guha said: "It happened by accident," and admitted, "But honestly, when I started, I was awful." She described early stints with the BBC and Sky, a presenting role on ITV for the IPL and subsequent work in India for Sony and Ten Sports, plus commentary on the Caribbean Premier League — where, she noted, "No woman had worked on men’s T20 cricket before." Those experiences, she said, led to further opportunities in Australia and the IPL and ultimately to roles with Fox.
Guha discussed on-air partnerships and how commentary styles differ by country, saying, "Yes, that is true" when asked about speaking more freely in Australia, and noting her rapport with Kerry O’Keeffe and Adam Gilchrist. She recalled encouragement from Shane Warne: "He would ask me about my opinion on the cricket. He genuinely respected my opinion." She also said, "I actually love working with Phil Tufnell, too. He is a lot of fun."
Recalling a career highlight, Guha spoke about the 2008 Ashes Test at the Bradman Oval, Bowral, where she took nine wickets to bowl England to victory and described the setting: "Trees everywhere. White picket fence. I got an early wicket and then it just flowed." She said she had been low on confidence before that match and wanted to perform at the venue revered as the home of Don Bradman.
On playing in India, Guha recounted appearing at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where her family is from, and the sparse crowd on that occasion because "Sourav Ganguly was out of the Test side. And the fans basically were revolting. So no one turned up. Just my grandparents and my family." She highlighted the personal significance of that match despite the circumstances.
Guha described her off-field work as founder of Take Her Lead in 2022, stating the organisation aims "to advance equity and diversity in cricket and increase participation for women and girls." She cited a 2022 survey of over a thousand women and girls in which the majority said they felt they didn’t belong in the sport, and outlined programmes including mentoring and partnerships with the MCC Foundation and Lord’s Taverners. She added specific concerns about South Asian representation: "There have only been three of us that have played for England — me, Sonia [Odedra] and Mahika [Gaur]. There is only 11% representation from a South Asian background for girls at the entry-level pathway. That drops to 4% at professional level." On barriers she said, "With South Asians, there is always an unconscious bias that we are not mentally tough or we are not fit. I always tried to make sure that I was never dropped for those reasons. And I want to make sure that these girls are equipped with the tools to succeed." She also cited a participation gap: "Between the age of 10 and 15, girls drop out of sport 20% more than boys."
Guha said she has worked at Wimbledon for five years and confirmed her broadcasting commitments span both Australia and the UK: "I have my two jobs now, in Australia and the UK." She continues to lead Take Her Lead and to partner with organisations such as the South Asian Cricket Academy in efforts to increase diversity and participation in the game.
