A Day With: Australian pace star Holly Ferling

Denzil Pinto 05:53 07/04/2016
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  • Star performer: Holly Ferling.

    At just 20, Holly Ferling boasts an impressive CV that any cricketer would dream of at that age.

    Her feats include gold medals in the 2013 World Cup and 2014 World Twenty20, before winning the Ashes in England with the Southern Stars last year. It’s a remarkable achievement, given she only began playing at the age of 14.

    The fast-bowler, who was part of the Australia squad that finished runners-up in the recent World Twenty20, caught up with Sport360 during a visit to Dubai this week where she held a coaching clinic as part of her Brand Ambassador role with Skin 02.

    You’ve just returned from the World Twenty20. With so many talented players in the Australia squad, how frustrating was it not to get on the field?

    It was quite hard but when you go over there, there’s only a squad of 15 and being in that top 15 of a huge country like Australia is such an honour.

    To be in India where conditions would favour the spinners, I knew I wouldn’t get many opportunities to play. But, I’m always looking to improve myself and always want to play.

    Shortly after the final defeat to West Indies, Australia captain Meg Lanning said she believes other teams are now improving considerably. Do you agree with that?

    Absolutely they are. It really shows the standard of women’s cricket is growing these days. We are no longer beating teams by a big margin. There are plenty that are causing upsets. South Africa nearly defeated us at the World Cup but didn’t make the semi-finals.

    In my opinion, New Zealand should’ve won the World Cup but they lost to the West Indies who were crowned champions. This tournament has proved there are no easy games. I think the level will only get bigger and better if more competitions are introduced to the calendar.

    Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland is open to the idea of hosting the 2020 edition as a standalone women’s event. Do you think it will be a success if it is?

    There’s quite a lot of mixed opinions and I’m in two minds as well. There’s a lot of pluses and negatives.

    The next T20 World Cup in 2018 in West Indies will be good test to see how much interest there is. I think the biggest thing that needs addressing is the TV deals.

    All the games need to be broadcast otherwise it’s going to be quite unheard of and it will not gain as much publicity If the game keeps building its momentum then definitely it’s viable.

    We want to be marketed as athletes not second-rate to the boys. It will be interesting to see what the ICC say and for sure it will be exciting to play in 2020.

    The team have got a lot of support from Cricket Australia, who have announced significant pay increases for the players. How much of a boost will that be?

    It’s massive news. We knew it was in the pipeline for a little while but didn’t know when it would happen. Particularly for us players, it means we can invest more time into our cricket and become better cricketers.

    Previously, it was quite some struggle with some working in a full-time job and also having the time to play. This means that players don’t need to work as much as they’d like to and focus on playing cricket.

    You’re also a student as well. How difficult is to combine studying and playing?

    I study part-time at the Queensland University of Technology and studying mass communication (journalism and public relations). It’s something that I enjoy. I come from a semi-professional era where we need a part-time job or to do something else.

    It comes to a point where you are not just thinking about cricket but other things. One day we do have to retire and we’ll have to think on what we have to do. It can be challenging to study and play cricket, but I always take my books with me and study when I’m free.

    Is cricket something you want to do full-time?

    I will commit a lot of time for cricket but at the same time I want to look into as many avenues as I can.

    Cricket in itself has given me so many opportunities already, by travelling the world and using many everyday skills. It’s a great experience and what I learn in my course will help me significantly whether I go into coaching or work in a non-cricketing role.

    In your short stint with Australia so far, you’ve already won last year’s Ashes series in England. How special was that?

    It was an elusive title that we wanted to achieve for so long. Our preparations were good and our focus was on the Ashes.

    Leading into the tour, we were never going to lose it. Never in our minds did we think we wouldn’t do it. We wanted to be relentless and play a brand of cricket that was exciting and we did that.

    If you were playing in the men’s game, who would you love to get out?

    Steven Smith. As a bowler, you want to get the best out and he’s been really successful with the bat. Your job as a fast bowler is to make sure the top-order don’t do as much damage and to see your name on the scoreboard when it’s shown on television.

    Who was your idol when growing up?

    Ellyse Perry (Australian all-rounder). To play alongside her is a dream come true. To play football and cricket at national level is unheard of. I really admire her work ethic and she is truly a athlete that I look up to.

    What are your short and long-term goals?

    Short-term, I want to win the 50-over World Cup in England. It would be like winning the Ashes and England always step up in front of their home crowds. We want to be talked of as being one of the best teams years down the line. We want to be that dominant team that no-one forgets. That’s our next step.

    I want to be in the national team for as long as possible and I want to be one of the most threatening bowlers in the world with pace and bounce. I still have a long way to go to become more consistent.

    What would you say your highlight has been so far?

    It was the 2013 World Cup in India. I was called into the side and was told that I wouldn’t take to the field unless Ellyse was injured. I was happy with the decision since I was still young. Ellyse got injured and I played four of nine games.

    To play in India where cricket is a religion was amazing. Words really cannot describe it. One of the most emotional bits was when a young girl called me by name and told me I was her favourite player. I had only played two games on TV and that showed me the impact cricket can have on the wider community.

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