The Women’s Hundred player auction delivered record investment and intense bidding as franchises assembled their squads for the upcoming season. Yet amid the financial milestones and player deals, MI London Head Coach Lisa Keightley found herself reflecting on a different issue inside the room.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after the Women’s Hundred auction, Keightley said she was struck by the lack of female representation among the competition’s head coaches despite the rapid expansion of the women’s game.
“The only thing I’m disappointed in is I look around the room and I’m the only female head coach. So for me, waving the flag and hopefully as we move into cricket, we get a few more female head coaches here,” she told ESPNcricinfo.
Women’s cricket accelerating through global leagues
Keightley believes the surge in professional leagues across major cricketing nations is transforming the landscape for the women’s game.
“It’s really changing fast, isn’t it? And I suppose the three powerhouses – India, England, and Australia – having a very competitive T20 competitions – it’s really driving the women’s space and the pay equity,” she said.
However, she noted that while the momentum is encouraging, the sport still has ground to cover in terms of structural progress.
“We’re not there, but it’s moving and it’s moving pretty fast, so that’s really good.”
MI London’s squad strategy after the auction
While broader discussions around the women’s game continue, Keightley also assessed MI London’s squad composition after the auction concluded.
“Look, it would have maybe been nice to get another power hitter in the top five, but in saying that, at The Oval, you’ll still be able to find the boundary and when we go away, it might look a little bit different in how we accumulate our runs, but we’ve still got some batting there, especially up top with our openers,” she told ESPNcricinfo.
The franchise entered the auction with several established international players already secured, including Hayley Matthews, Melie Kerr and Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
“If they can bat quite long, I think that sets us up really well. And having Chathli, obviously how she played last year, I think she could have an impact in our top order as well,” she added.
Encouraging more women to take leadership roles
Drawing on her experience across international teams and franchise competitions in Australia, England and India, Keightley said one of the biggest barriers preventing more women from becoming head coaches is self-belief.
“As females, you always think you’re not ready and you’re happy to be an assistant, but I think the only way you get in there and do it is if you get the opportunity, take it, get in there, do it,” she said.
She urged aspiring coaches to embrace leadership opportunities when they arise.
“If someone says they want you to be a head coach, don’t think you’re not ready. You’ve got to jump at the chance, be brave and back yourself and put good people around you and you’ll be fine.”
