Molly Strano feels WBBL played a big role in Australian players becoming household names

Australia cricketer Molly Strano feels Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) is an incredible marketing tool for the women’s game and has helped Australian women’s cricketers become household names.

“We’re so lucky in Australian domestic cricket at the moment to have so many incredible players,” Strano was quoted as saying by Siren Sport.

“And it’s just such a cool brand of cricket to be able to show those people, those players and their skills to the nation and it’s been really cool to watch the Australian public fall in love with some of the big names like Meg (Lanning) and Ellyse (Perry) and they are all household names now. And that’s, I think, thanks to the Big Bash.”

Strano, who plays the Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL, says the associating with the same brand as the men’s sides helped the women’s league to connect to the fan base straightaway.

“The BBL had already been running for a few years before the WBBL came in, and it was almost like as soon as we put on, well for me, that red Renegades uniform, the fans really bought in and really took us under their wing. It was really cool to be associated with the Renegades brand and straight away connect with the fan base. And I think it’s only grown since then. Most teams have the motto that it’s, you know, one club, two teams and both the men’s and women’s programs work pretty closely together.”

27-year-old Strano wasn’t initially part of the Australia’s squad for the 2020 T20 World Cup, but was called up when fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck was ruled out of the tournament with an injury. 86,174 people attended the final at MCG when Australia defeated India in a convincing win to lift the T20 trophy for the fifth time.

“I wasn’t meant to be there. I got thrown into the squad, really, like the day before the first game. So just every day on the tour for me was incredible,” said Strano.

“That final was just something else, to be able to play or not play myself, but to be there in the squad at my home ground at the MCG in Melbourne. I just never thought I would witness anything like that in women’s cricket. And to be able to be there and play a small role in regards to running the waters. I found it really special and I will absolutely never forget that day.”

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Strano says she started bowling off-spin only when her form as a batter suffered and she had to do something to justify her presence in the Victoria squad.

“I was picked as an opening batter. So, I made a few runs as a youngster and got picked by Victoria. All of a sudden I forgot how to bat for a moment and the runs really dried up for me,” she said.

“I only started bowling off-spin because the runs had dried up and they sort of had to justify my position in the Vic squad. Like, ‘this girl’s useless with the bat so let’s try and turn her into a bowler. Oh, we don’t have any off-spinners.’”

Molly Strano bowls for Melbourne Renegades. © Getty Images

Strano, who has played seven T20Is for Australia, feels she struggled as a batter because she was hard on herself when she failed and said she finds bowling a little more forgiving as an art.

“I used to put so much pressure on myself and it can be quite unforgiving, batting. You go out and you get a really good ball and you have made a duck and that’s your day over. Whereas bowling, you are not as brittle. You have still got another over or two in T20 cricket, or in 50-over cricket another five or six overs. You can make a couple of mistakes and still bounce back from it,” she added.

“I can be pigeonholed at times as being more of a T20 bowler, which I love, but I actually really, really love 50 over cricket.”

“Day cricket can be like a game of chess, really. And it’s trying to work out certain ways you have to bowl certain batters to get them out and trying to work out if they have any areas where you think are weaknesses, how you can exploit that. I think that’s the great part about cricket. It’s a game of fine margins, but it’s also a game of complete and utter strategy and to be able to work with the captain to work out ways of taking the opposition down is something I really, really enjoy.”

“I love watching footage of opposition batters and trying to nitpick and trying to work out ways you can potentially get them out.”

Strano talked about how isolation period has helped her relax and move away from her tendency to over-train during off-seasons. “I definitely edge towards more of an over-trainer. Normally during off season as well, when we’re not meant to be doing any skills, I normally sort of sneak off and want to have a bit of a bowl and a bit of a bat, just to keep in touch.”

“It’s a bit of a blessing in disguise to be forced to drop the bat and the ball for a bit and just somewhat relax and refresh and recharge. So, I think it was a good little education piece for me,” she concluded.