After winning “two games against premier teams,” the offspinner backs West Indies to challenge for the World Cup crown.
Anisa Mohammed thought her side would win when she got the ball to bowl the 48th over, with England needing 9 runs and two wickets in hand. This was despite the fact that the ninth-wicket partnership had already amassed 61 runs. Mohammed was the most expensive frontline bowler in the West Indies on that day. Before then, Mohammed was the most expensive.
“I told myself, “I am a game-changer.” I am not going to let anybody else decide for me, “Mohammed said after West Indies’ seven-run victory against England. “I just need six balls. And I only need two of those six balls to be successful. I only had to believe in myself and remain cool, saying one ball at a time, and I was able to complete the task. “
As it turned out, she need just four balls, and maybe only one of them was very good: Mohammed’s full delivery as Anya Shrubsole walked down the field. “I’ve simply told myself that I’m going to bowl straight and miss. She is tall, and she will be missed. ” And she did miss.
Shrubsole yorked herself to give West Indies their second straight victory in the event, after Mohammed’s first-ball dismissal of Kate Cross at the non-end. striker’s That dismissal came as a stroke of luck, as Mohammed extended her right hand out in her follow-through to meet Sophie Ecclestone’s thunderbolt, and the ball ricocheted off her fingers and onto the stumps.
Cross was backing up too far, as is sometimes the case with hitters seeking fast singles, but Mohammed’s quick reactions bolstered her conviction that even though the West Indies looked down, they were never out.
“At no time did I believe we would lose this game,” she said. “We knew we needed only one wicket or we’d have to keep piling on the pressure. “We kept yelling that every dot ball counts and that if we just got one wicket, we’d win the game.”
This belief has been a big part of the West Indies’ two victories so far. Deandra Dottin, who had not bowled in international cricket since September, protected five runs off the last over in the first match. This is after she pleaded with her captain for the ball. With that kind of self-belief, Mohammed believes the West Indies might knock out a few more big names and perhaps fight for the crown.
“We have a good number of game-changers, and this time, we have a good number of players that believe in themselves,” she said. “And, as a team, we have faith in one another. To win two games against the tournament’s best clubs is unquestionably an incentive for us. It instils in us the belief that we are capable of defeating the best teams. After that, if we play our best game, we have a chance to win this tournament.
“Numerous countries see us as underdogs, and we have not been playing very excellent one-day international cricket recently. However, we stand to gain nothing. In this competition, we have a slew of teams to surprise.“
Dottin was also a part of another game-changing event, leaping in the air at the point to make a one-handed grab that ended Lauren Winfield–season. Hill’s Mohammed, who had the “best seat in the house” to see it, said that it demonstrates Dottin’s dedication to contributing in all areas.
“She holds herself to a very high level in every element of the game,” Mohammed added. “It was a spectacular grab, and I’m certain we’ll see more from Deandra.”
However, that is not the only player Mohammed believes has more to give. Her biggest expectations are of herself, all the more so now that she is only three wickets away from being the second-highest ODI wicket-taker in history.
“It’s one of the objectives I set for myself when I was a child, and I’m so close,” she said. “I am ecstatic.”
Indeed, she is commemorating her triumph. Following the West Indies’ warm-up match against India, Mohammed took a photo with Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj to serve as a symbol of women’s cricket brilliance.
“Jhulan has the most ODI wickets, Mithali has the most runs, and I am the most prolific [wicket-taker]. I wanted to take a snapshot with the best players in each of the ODI categories, “‘ She said.
Mohammed’s current form is even more significant to her since it comes after she was dismissed from the West Indies squad to visit England in 2019. Prior to her revival in 2021, she had played only 11 ODIs in 2018 and 2019 combined, taking six wickets at a strike rate of 55.33.
She has since played 16 games and taken 26 wickets at a strike rate of 19.88, with more to come.
Every player goes through a difficult period, and mine was mine, she explained. Once I was reinstated, it was a question of remaining in the starting XI, contributing, and winning matches.
“It was challenging, but I’m glad I’m here to help. At the end of the day, it’s all about you and your ability to handle pressure. As a player, I often converse with myself, so it was just a question of being focused and trusting in myself.”
