Australia’s Beth Mooney was overjoyed to be selected by Gujarat Giants in the WPL auction because she had always desired a women’s equivalent of the IPL. Mooney did not anticipate receiving a call from Giants mentor and former India captain Mithali Raj inviting her to serve as captain.
Mooney remarked on the eve of the WPL opener against Mumbai Indians at DY Patil Stadium, “When I got bought on in the auction, I was simply pleased to be a part of it and captaincy wasn’t something that was on my radar. “Mithali called me and said, “We’d like you to do it (captaincy), and we’re pleased if you want to. Just let us know, please. Following that, Rachael [Haynes, head coach], and I had a few chats, and we both agreed that it was time for me to challenge myself in cricket.
Mooney, who just arrived in India and joined the team on Wednesday, will be serving as captain for the first time at the highest level. She has filled in as captain for Brisbane Heat in the WBBL and Queensland Fire in the Women’s NCL, but she has never captained a T20 team at a higher level. Haynes, who only retired from all formats after the previous WBBL season, is the Giants’ new coach. Mooney, who recently helped Australia win its sixth Women’s T20 World Cup title, said she trusted her former Australian teammate’s judgment and was looking forward to the experience.
I am able to work rather closely with Rachael Haynes because of my familiarity with her, she stated. She is working as a head coach for the first time. I used to captain a lot when I was younger, but I haven’t done much since. I’ve got some limited experience. I was pleased to assist Rach since I have faith in her judgment.
“I’d rather see someone try something they’ve been practicing in training and possibly succeed than retreat back into their shell.”
Knowing and utilizing the top Indian players available to Giants would be one of Mooney’s additional tasks as the captain of a franchise team in the WPL. Together with assistance from Raj, she and Haynes discussed the squad. More crucially, Mooney insisted on teaching his players the bravery and never-give-up mentality that have made Australia, who have already won a hat-trick of T20 World Cups for the second time, famous.
Since losing in the semifinals of the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2017, Australia has won the T20 World Cups in 2018, 2020, and 2023, along with the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2022 and the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Mooney was named the tournament’s player of the year in those competitions. In the league stage of the WPL, teams will face each other twice. According to Mooney, keeping momentum is crucial because a team’s future is not always established in the first few games.
Just comprehending that these competitions are not won or lost in the first few games, she added, was all that was needed. We observe teams both internationally and domestically in Australia that can swiftly lose momentum if they allow a number of setbacks to disrupt the team. It all comes down to seizing that momentum. I believe the only way you can do that is to remain composed under duress and always choose the more courageous course. I’ll do everything I can to instill that in the group. I’d rather see someone try something they’ve been working on in practice and possibly succeed than retreat, especially when using a bat or a ball. When the outcome of the game is at stake, they can try a change-up or a slower ball. They might have missed it little, but they tried their best and came very close to pulling it off. If they don’t get it right at first, that helps them greatly in getting it right later.
Mooney, who had just recently joined the team, intended to use the coaching staff’s expertise for the first few games before truly adding her own flavor.
She also dismissed the added pressure of the price tag, saying, “I am not sure there is much more pressure,” after being purchased at an auction price of INR 2 crore. If I put pressure on myself to perform, I shouldn’t be playing. Nothing can be demanded of me more than I can demand of myself.
