For some, Thailand’s appearance in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia could be described as a miracle, but the players are not letting that bother them.

This is the first appearance of the country’s women in a T20 appearance in a T20 event, and they are looking to make the most of it. At the moment, they are planning hard to face England, a fixture they are very excited about.

The team had their first game against West Indies, and although they lost, they could not help but celebrate every wicket in a big way. At a point, they even had the lead, but the more experienced team was able to claim victory later on. Captain of the Thai women’s team, Sornnarin Tippoch, based their loss on not batting well enough but stated that they bowled and fielded better, displaying more confidence while doing so.

Now, the girls are set to face England on Wednesday, a match Tippoch describes as “the goose game,” admitting that the game would be good for them. As far as preparedness goes, the girls seem to be prepared, as Tippoch says they had learnt from their last game.

Why it is particularly special that Thailand made it to the T20 this year is because of the story that follows the team. Quite a young team, they made their way into international cricket in 2007, with hardly any dedicated cricket players. Skipper Tippoch was a softball player when she was chosen as well as many of the other girls who were very inexperienced. Despite initial challenges, they were able to get the team running. Now, they have teams in the under-15 and under-19 category.

The struggle for an opportunity at a T20 event started since 2017, and getting a new coach seemed to have made the difference. Harshal Pathak, a former Indian cricketer, who is the current head coach, was the man behind the qualification of the team this time around.

Written by: Leon Osamor