Remembering the first girl to play cricket in the UAE as the country hosts its first Women’s World Cup

By K.R. Nayar

The UAE is set to host the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 starting on October 3. There was a time when girls in this country hardly considered playing cricket. Instead, they preferred sports like badminton, tennis, and basketball, and rarely, if ever, held a cricket bat. It was during this period that a 10-year-old girl, Natasha Michael Cherriath, walked onto a cricket field with a bat in hand.

 

Natasha Michael showed the way for other women cricketers in the UAE

Natasha had no other girls to play with, and the boys curiously observed her as she joined a game typically played only by them.  Every movement requires a pioneer, and Natasha was the one who started it all for girls' cricket here. While she learned the basics of the game from her father, Michael, he took her to renowned coach Shehzad Altaf, who had represented the UAE in the 1996 World Cup. Although Altaf initially told her that cricket was a sport for boys, Natasha was determined to learn. It didn’t take long before Altaf realized she was the most improved player at his academy.

 

Coach Shehzad Altaf 

For anyone to succeed, guidance is essential. Mazhar Khan, now the General Manager of the Sharjah Cricket Stadium that will host the opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 on October 3, was instrumental in helping Natasha. Those days, Mazhar was the Administrator of the Emirates Cricket Board and General Secretary of the Sharjah Cricket Council. He provided Natasha the permission to participate in Sharjah council tournaments alongside boys, which was a significant step forward. And when I heard about a girl playing cricket with boys, I contacted Mazhar. He said, "We have no objection to her playing alongside the boys. She is only 10 years old, and it could encourage other girls to take up cricket here.” 

 

Mazhar Khan ... boosted women's cricket in the UAE in a big way

This was also the time when the International Cricket Council’s rules prohibited boys and girls from playing together. Back then, the International Women's Cricket Council (IWCC) oversaw women’s cricket worldwide.

Soon after, I interviewed Natasha and asked her about her idols. Since women's cricket heroes had yet to emerge, she said, "Though my batting idol is Rahul Dravid, I hope to be a fast bowler like Irfan Pathan." Natasha was a Grade 5 student at St. Mary’s School, Dubai, then.

 

The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) then began working diligently to promote women’s cricket, though only a few girls came forward to play. As ECB Administrator, Mazhar Khan took the initiative to ensure that a UAE women’s team was formed and entered the international cricket scene.

 

 In 2007, at the age of 13, Natasha was appointed captain of the UAE team for the

Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Women's cricket tournament in Malaysia. She must be one of the youngest players ever to lead a national team in international cricket.

The 2007 UAE squad: Natasha Michael Cherriath (captain), Meena Shankar (vice-captain), Natasha E. Dos Santos Robinson, Manvi Dhodhi, Veni Praveen (wicket-keeper), Samiya, Charvi Ajay Bhatt, Jesar Maqsood Shah, Nicole Ceceilia D'Silva, Malitha Pillai, Anisha Sharma, Tanya Maria Flynn, Petule Shalom Nadar and Tahira Ali Akbar. Smitha Harikrishna (Coach)

 

Former ICC Administrator Sheila Razdan was manager of  the UAE Women's team in 2007  

Shiela Razdan, who went on to serve International Cricket Council for 17 years as administrator, was the manager of the team. Many from that team played big roles in boosting women’s cricket in UAE like Charvi Bhatt, who captained UAE and is a commentator now, Manvi Dhodhi who later became women’s team manager and is associated with many league cricket teams in various role.

 

Natasha Michael returns after another match-winning performance 

Natasha’s achievements made her one of Asia’s finest women cricketers and the best among associate nations. In 2010 she bagged the best batswoman award in the Asia Cup Under-19 tournament. Like many talented boys and girls, Natasha eventually left the UAE for her further studies. She returned to play for UAE and last played in the 2022 Women’s Asia Cup. In 2017 she captained UAE women’s team in the World Indoor Cricket Federation’s (WICF) World Cup in Dubai.  Today, she is employed in the UAE.

As women cricketers from around the world gather for the World Cup here, it’s important to remember Natasha, the first girl to step onto a cricket field in the UAE, and to acknowledge coach Shehzad Altaf, who coached a girl for the first time, and Mazhar Khan, who planted the seeds of women’s cricket in the UAE.