Isa Guha

Isa had a playing career spanning a decade for the England Women’s Cricket team before retiring in April, 2012. In that time she gained 113 caps and helped England to victory in two World Cups, fifteen ODI series, seven T20 series and three Ashes.

In 2009, at the height of English dominance in global cricket, Isa was internationally ranked as ICC Women's No. 1 bowler.  She continued to play an integral role in the World Cup winning side, which progressed to win the World T20, Ashes - swiftly followed by an ODI series whitewash of the Australians.  Prior to retirement, her ability to take wickets positioned her second highest in the all-time ODI England bowlers list and sixth in the world.

Isa began playing cricket with the colts section at her local club in High Wycombe at 8 years old - she later joined a women’s side and was immediately recognised as a future international talent.  At 13, she represented the Thames Valley ladies 1st XI and was selected to train with the England development squad.  In 2002, at just 17, she made her England debut after impressing the selectors with her performances in the 2001 European Cup, taking seven wickets in three games at an average of 3.75 – warranting the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award. On debut, she became the first woman of Asian origin to represent England and was recognised by the BBC.

In 2004, Isa proved vital in England's one-day series win against New Zealand, earning her the Natwest ‘Player of the Series’. Her bustling medium pace, combined with the ability to swing and seam the ball, meant she was invaluable to England’s campaign to retain the 2008 Ashes down under - registering career best Test figures of 9-100.

Since retirement, Isa has made the successful transition into cricket broadcasting on a global scale. In 2011 she co-hosted the Indian Premier League (‘IPL’) on ITV and has held this position for the last three years.

Furthermore, Isa has a fast growing reputation as a professional commentator, pundit, and host with affiliations to BBC, Sky Sports, Ten Sports, NDTV, ECB and Sony Max.  She also regularly contributes pieces to the Guardian, BBC, Allout Cricket, GQ India and Wisden India with features in SPORT, Asiana and Sportsvibe.

In her spare time, Isa is heavily interested in music, and is a reporter for the underground music movement SofarSounds.  She also graduated with 2.1 (Bsc) Hons in Biochemistry at UCL and continues to pursue an MPhil in Neuroscience.  In addition, she is a regular on the speaking circuit - drawing from her experiences in cricket, media and education to deliver relevant motivational talks for a variety of audiences; ranging from sports evenings and lectures, to conferences and networking events’.

Isa is an ambassador for various charities as a role model for women and Asians all over the world including but not limited to the British Asian Trust, Sporting Equals, the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and Jaguar Academy for Sport.

British Asian Trust​

The Trust is grateful for Isa’s support – from her representing The Trust at events to visiting key women focused projects in India, she has helped to raise our profile. With so much of our work being focused on empowering young girls and women, Isa is a fantastic role model – realising her ambition and being a successful cricketer showing that women are capable of anything if they are empowered

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