Two years ago, she was forced to miss the ODI World Cup semi-finals due to Covid-19. At 38, she is excited to have another crack at it, in UAE
Shashank Kishore17-Oct-2024Afy Fletcher, the West Indies legspinner, doesn’t need to look at the clock to know it’s 3pm. It’s as if she is wired with an in-built alarm that is coded as the “good morning call” to her three-year-old back in Grenada.It’s a reflection of Fletcher’s life on tours ever since she returned from an 18-month maternity break in January 2022. At the time, she didn’t think a return was possible. But when she dropped in at a West Indies camp in Barbados, her team-mates and coaches were amazed at her transformed fitness barely a few months into motherhood.That confidence, coupled with her own drive to be an inspiration to other mums, fueled Fletcher’s return at 34. In Dubai, ahead of West Indies’ semi-final at the T20 World Cup, Fletcher reflects on that moment as one of the turning points in a long career that began in 2008.Related
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“It’s overwhelming, it’s unbelievable, it’s a joy,” Fletcher tells ESPNcricinfo about balancing motherhood and competitive sport, which has been her lifelong passion.At the World Cup in UAE, Fletcher has played a key role in West Indies’ run to the semi-finals. Two nights ago in a must-win game, she cut England’s batting line-up to size with a three-wicket haul, before Qiana Joseph delivered the knockout blow.For Fletcher, it’ll be a crack at another semi-final, a prospect she’s excited by. Two years ago in New Zealand, she was forced to miss the semi-finals of the 50-over World Cup due to Covid-19. West Indies lost to eventual champions Australia with Fletcher watching it all unfold in quarantine.It’s a feeling she describes as “heart-sinking for being so near, yet so far.””To find out the news before the game was a sinking feeling,” Fletcher says. “You’re like, damn, it’s Covid and you can’t do much. I was in quarantine. You could only go out when alarms would ring at different times during the day. Mentally it was tough.”The only good thing was at least you could go out and get fresh air. My son had just been born; he was back home. As it is, things can be overwhelming being a young mother. Covid made me tougher. Looking back on that journey, I feel blessed to have been able to comeback and give myself another chance.”Initially, I had so many questions. Can I come back? Will my body allow me? Will I have the same level of skills? How can I manage my emotions of being away from my child on tours? But unless you actually put yourself through it, you can’t really tell how strong you are.”Fletcher describes the first few months of return as “really tough on the body” but once she had decided to give cricket another crack, she decided to go all in.Afy Fletcher was part of the title-winning squad in 2016•ICC/Getty Images”I think that was the challenging part, having to get your body back into it gradually,” she says. “You can’t just rush into it because you remember the cuts [from caesarian delivery] and have to be rather cautious. I have no regrets in continuing my career. I mean, it has been challenging, but when you overcome challenges to find success, it makes it all worth it.”I know that I am a role model to some. I know that it will be inspiring to a lot of young girls around the world, whichever profession they’re in. I know that I did make some impact and give them motivation and courage.”Fletcher was part of the victorious squad of 2016, but believes this current group is equally special. “We just go to the nets and try to have fun,” she says. “Most importantly be relaxed. We don’t just sulk around after a defeat. We decided we’re going to still keep that push and that drive, rallying around each other.”
“One of the next things I would love to do is get an academy up and running in Grenada, give back to the game and create a pathway for young girls in my island.”Afy Fletcher
Fletcher says this energy makes her feel younger and want to push for more, even though she’s touching 38 and is among the oldest players at the tournament. Having put in the hard yards, she sees this as a reward for her hard work.It wasn’t always this way. After just two T20Is in 2008, she had to wait for seven years to make a comeback. During this period, she became a football referee to become an assistant in local club games, and started working a full-time job -“secretarial work” – at the ministry of sport in Grenada, until cricket found a way back into her life.In 2014, she moved out of Grenada to Trinidad and Tobago to play club cricket. A season full of wickets for Technocrats fueled her comeback. While doing all of this, Fletcher also finished her Level 1 and 2 coaching certifications to “learn and grow.””Back then when I had much time on my hand, I was always keen on helping young people at training. That was partly why I wanted to get into coaching certifications. Even today, all this success I’ve had in my career, it’s only because I’ve always been hungry to learn.”One of the next things I would love to do is get an academy up and running in Grenada, give back to the game and create a pathway for young girls in my island. I am looking for some support [funding and infrastructure]. If people are reading this, and they’d like to get in touch, I will be delighted to chat with them.”