Cricket Scotland has launched She Is, a new original content series exploring the stories behind some of the stars of Scotland’s women’s national cricket team.
The series aims to introduce audiences across Scotland to a group of athletes renowned on the world stage, with players competing professionally and internationally across England, India, Australia and beyond.
Through cinematic short-form documentaries, She Is explores identity, ambition, family, sacrifice and representation through the experiences of the players shaping the future of Scottish cricket.
The first episode features spinner Abtaha Maqsood and tells the story of a player who became the role model she never had.
Born in Scotland to Pakistani parents, Abtaha learned the game playing cricket in the garden with family before joining a boys’ teams at club level. Growing up, she says visibility for women’s cricket was so limited that all of her sporting role models were men — and she had never seen someone who looked like her in the sport.
Now an international cricketer who has competed professionally in England, Abtaha reflects on her journey as a South Asian, Muslim and hijab-wearing athlete, and what it means to represent Scotland.
The film charts her rise from a young girl seeing the ICC ODI Trophy as a 14-year-old fan to competing on the world stage herself — including the decision to step away from a potential career in dentistry to pursue professional cricket full-time, supported by her family throughout.
At its heart, the episode explores how representation changes futures. Where Abtaha once grew up without female cricketing role models, she now sees the next generation looking up to players like her — including within her own family, as her younger sister progresses through the game and her niece follows their journey.
The launch of She Is comes as interest and visibility in women’s cricket continues to surge ahead of a landmark summer for Scotland on the international stage as they prepare to compete in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
On Thursday Scotland begin their first home series in four years, as they host Bangladesh and Netherlands in the Heriot-Watt University Women’s T20 International Tri-Series in Edinburgh. Tickets for the series are on sale now, with more information available HERE.
The full episode featuring Abtaha Maqsood is available now across Cricket Scotland channels.
