South Asia's cricket talent is set to get a boost as the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) launches its inaugural women's programme for the 2026 season. The fully-funded high-performance elite programme aims to develop talented young British south Asian female cricketers, providing them with the platform to break into professional cricket.
The pilot programme has been established in partnership with Take Her Lead, a registered charity founded by former England international and broadcaster Isa Guha. The charity's mission is to advance equality and diversity in cricket, increasing participation for women and girls.
The academy's success story so far includes 18 male players of south Asian background who have secured professional contracts with county clubs since its establishment in 2022. The percentage of professional players from a south Asian background has increased significantly, from four to 13%, while the number of academy players has expanded from 18 to 26%.
Despite this progress, there are currently only five professional south Asian women's players at counties (3.3% of all players) and five more in their academies (7.1%). To address this gap, SACA is launching its women's programme.
"We're excited that SACA will take on a leading role in helping to develop talented young British Asian female cricketers and helping them achieve their ambitions to break into the professional game," said Tom Brown, the founder and manager director of SACA. The academy is confident that it can quickly emulate the success of its men's programme.
Isa Guha, chairing an advisory group of experts experienced in high-performance environments with a south Asian perspective, adds, "The inaugural SACA women's programme will provide a much-needed focus for south Asian women in cricket. Our role is to ensure the environment created makes these women feel like they belong in cricket, taking their background and gender into consideration."
SACA research highlights the growth of the game among south Asian communities, with 26% of academy players being south Asian, up from 18 previously. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve parity.
The launch of SACA's women's programme marks an exciting step forward for cricket in South Asia and beyond. With its experienced team and innovative approach, the academy is well-placed to help talented young cricketers from diverse backgrounds break into professional cricket and inspire future generations.
The pilot programme has been established in partnership with Take Her Lead, a registered charity founded by former England international and broadcaster Isa Guha. The charity's mission is to advance equality and diversity in cricket, increasing participation for women and girls.
The academy's success story so far includes 18 male players of south Asian background who have secured professional contracts with county clubs since its establishment in 2022. The percentage of professional players from a south Asian background has increased significantly, from four to 13%, while the number of academy players has expanded from 18 to 26%.
Despite this progress, there are currently only five professional south Asian women's players at counties (3.3% of all players) and five more in their academies (7.1%). To address this gap, SACA is launching its women's programme.
"We're excited that SACA will take on a leading role in helping to develop talented young British Asian female cricketers and helping them achieve their ambitions to break into the professional game," said Tom Brown, the founder and manager director of SACA. The academy is confident that it can quickly emulate the success of its men's programme.
Isa Guha, chairing an advisory group of experts experienced in high-performance environments with a south Asian perspective, adds, "The inaugural SACA women's programme will provide a much-needed focus for south Asian women in cricket. Our role is to ensure the environment created makes these women feel like they belong in cricket, taking their background and gender into consideration."
SACA research highlights the growth of the game among south Asian communities, with 26% of academy players being south Asian, up from 18 previously. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve parity.
The launch of SACA's women's programme marks an exciting step forward for cricket in South Asia and beyond. With its experienced team and innovative approach, the academy is well-placed to help talented young cricketers from diverse backgrounds break into professional cricket and inspire future generations.
I'm not entirely convinced about this new SACA women's programme... 26% of academy players being south Asian sounds like a good start, but how many more does it take for them to be considered "parity"?? 
I'd love to see some actual stats on the growth rate vs the current number of south Asian female players. And what's with only five women in their academies? Is that really progress or just a drop in the ocean? 
Need some concrete numbers and sources before I get all excited about this initiative 
Like, a women's programme for SACA? That's totally needed, right? The stats are pretty shocking - only 3.3% of pro players are south Asian women, that's crazy! 
And the fact that SACA is taking it seriously and partnering with Take Her Lead charity is amazing. I mean, Isa Guha is literally a legend for starting that charity to promote equality in cricket.
It's about time we saw more women breaking into professional cricket, and I'm sure this new program will be a huge success 
We need to see some serious growth there! 
Take Her Lead is doing some incredible work with Isa Guha at the helm, and I'm excited to see how this women's programme unfolds 
it's not just about the cricket though, it's about representation and making sure everyone feels welcome and included in the game. i'm so excited to see this initiative take off and watch some amazing cricketers from diverse backgrounds shine 
. I mean, we've seen what the men's team can do, but it's time for our girls to get some serious recognition too 
.
. Either way, it's a win for equality and diversity in sports, and that's something we can all get behind 
it's cool i guess but idk how hard it is to play cricket lol my little bro can do better than me playing video games 
The proliferation of SACA's men's programme has already yielded promising results, with a significant increase in south Asian players securing professional contracts. However, despite this progress, the dearth of female representation in the sport remains a pressing concern 
. It's heartening to see SACA taking proactive steps to address this gap with its inaugural women's programme 
.
. can't say im surprised tho, the stats on male and female players are pretty different atm 
. still, it's a good start i guess? 
. It's crazy to think that there are only five professional south Asian women's players at counties right now 
still gotta be a long way to go but I guess its a step in the right direction 
? and yay for Isa Guha doing good work with her charity Take Her Lead 
.
The fact that they're creating this women's programme to help talented young girls break into pro cricket... it's like, totally inspiring 
!
. I hope this women's programme is the push they need to get more girls from diverse backgrounds into cricket 
!
btw 3.3% of players is a pretty small number considering how massive the south asian community is in uk so hope this academy thing can do some serious magic 
Isa Guha is a total legend for founding Take Her Lead and now this! I mean 3.3% of pro players from south Asian background is still crazy low, but at least SACA is trying to change that 