Thailand may be the newest entrants to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020, but theirs has been an exciting journey – a record breaking one that, too. Thailand, en route to the global tournament, had a run of 17 successive wins in the format, bettering Australia’s 16. They are in Australia after making it through the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019.
“We’re really excited to be involved for the first time,” said Sornnarin Tippoch, Thailand’s captain. “We will look to play our best cricket and we’ll show how we play the game. People back home don’t know me, some people know cricket but it’s not on television. They will follow us on Instagram and Facebook and will know about our game in Australia.”
Tippoch started playing when she was in university. The team itself is hardly 15 years old in the international circuit.
“I played cricket when I was 21 in university,” said the 33-year-old. “The first time the Cricket Association of Thailand got me to play, I didn’t really know about the sport. I only practiced for only two months – then we went to competition and lost all the matches. We didn’t know about the game, the rules, but cricket is a game that girls want to learn. We tried hard, we practiced and we’ve made the most of a lot of competition.”
It may be their play on the field that has got them to the T20 World Cup. But what is striking about Thailand’s journey is their humble behaviour – folded hands, bowing to the crowd and thanking them, they have, literally, smiled their way to the tournament.
“The mental side is harder to learn than the skill,” acknowledged Tippoch, who played softball before taking to cricket. “We know we must be calm, must learn about the situation, the tactics and the game sense. Our goal is reaching Australia and we have done that. We thought about coming here to complete our journey. I hope that our success will elevate the game in the region and improve the standard of cricket in our part of the world.”
Thailand’s first challenge at the highest stage will be posed by West Indies and then by England.