CHENNAI: When Harsha de Silva got a text from Ashley Noffke — Head of Female Pathways at Queensland Cricket — saying that Shikha Pandey was coming to Queensland to play club cricket, as the head coach of Wynnum and Manly District Cricket Club he knew exactly what he had to do. "I'm pretty sure they may have sent it to other clubs as well, saying that 'guys, she's here' other clubs are going to be interested in taking her on. So, I jumped at it," De Silva recalls with a laugh.
The only thing he had to ask Noffke was what they had to do to secure her services. The answer was simple: find accommodation and transportation to training and matches. Now, at this point, it had been several months since Shikha had been left out of India's squad for the 2022 ODI World Cup.
Having overcome the initial disappointment and fighting off thoughts of retirement, the 33-year-old reached out to the people around who knew her well — those who had been part of her journey at the start. She returned to training under Nitin Vernekar, the former Goa cricketer, whom she had worked with as an U-19 player. It was through those sessions with the academy boys that she found joy again. Following that, her stint with Goa in the senior T20s in April meant she was able to almost completely distract herself from the disappointment that had been.
It was around that time that Shikha also reached out to former Australia captain Belinda Clark whose encouragement allowed the all-rounder to find her confidence again and begin to search for opportunities to challenge herself. That is how she got in touch with Noffke, hoping to play in Queensland for a few weeks before the domestic season began in India.
For her, the objective was simple — it was an adventure to find new places and friends, an effort to leave her comfort zone and embrace new experiences. "I thought it was marvellous," says De Silva. "Having been part of the Sri Lankan women's team I know the pressure the players are under at the international level whenever they train or play. So when she said she just wanted to start enjoying her game just to refresh herself, it was fantastic."
She did not take long to make a mark. A week into her time in Queensland, Shikha smashed a century on debut for Sea Eagles, the Wynnum & Manly club team, against Sandgate-Redcliffe. As she continued to find joy at cricket while training with the Qld Fire squad on the field, off it Shikha was having a huge impact on the cricketers at Wynnum & Manly.
"We've got a very young women's squad across three grades that are based in a more community-based competition. She was involved across all of them and just gave them so many tips and ideas and imparted all her knowledge to them, which we were very grateful for obviously. It not only happened on the field but obviously off it as well," said Graham Mapri, the club president.
"We were very lucky as Shikha's values and her morals very much matched our own at our club. Whilst we're taking cricket very seriously and we're playing at the highest level in Queensland, the friendships and the enjoyment is absolutely paramount. It was interesting and rewarding for everyone to see that Shikha's way of happiness and enjoyment were similar to the players here."
"Sometimes you sort of think otherwise of international level players, that maybe they're a bit more focused and serious, which they are, but certainly the enjoyment factor was high on her agenda. And she was always smiling and laughing and her generous behaviour was just fantastic for us," Mapri added.
Having found the love she had for the game as a five-year-old, it was time for Shikha to return home after three weeks despite a standing offer to play for the Heat in WBBL. There was a T20 World Cup coming up and she was more determined than ever to force her way back into the squad. A rejuvenated Shikha took 20 wickets in 16 T20s at an average of 13.45 and an economy of 4.63 in the domestic season. The word within the fraternity was that she was the best pacer of the season.
Biju George, who was head coach of the South Zone team during the T20 Inter Zonals, says that Shikha came into the tournament with confidence and a single-mindedness that reflected in her performances.
"I believe she was much better than what I saw of her in 2018. We talked about her time in Australia, the efforts she was putting in, planning her comeback, etc. 'I know what I have to do and I will keep pushing' is what she had to say. Woh Fauji hai, vah haar nahin maanatee (She is an Indian Air Force soldier, doesn't give up)," said George, who has worked with the Indian team as a fielding coach in the past.
As the news about Shikha's inclusion in the squads for the Tri-series and T20 World Cup in South Africa broke, the celebrations in multiple countries told its own story. It was a testament to her as a person and a player. From Vernekar to George, from her Goa teammates to the Wynnum & Manly community everyone she had reached out to felt pride and joy in her comeback. It was, after all, a collective effort — they had made the journey together.
"All of us were so happy when we saw that she had made the World Cup squad. We have got a Facebook group and WhatsApp group and everyone was sort of putting posts on that saying how good it was. Everyone really valued her persistence. I mean, especially at her age, it's not very easy. With my experience at that level, it's very hard for a player to get back to that peak. She has done absolutely everything in her power to get back in there," said de Silva.
Shikha made a comeback during the tri-series against West Indies in the lead-up to the World Cup. While she did not pick wickets in the two matches she bowled, the team management is happy with her bowling.
"I'm happy. Troy (Cooley) has been working with her, and he is happy with what he is seeing. Taking of wickets is always there, but in T20 cricket, you are also looking to stop runs and wickets are results that you get after bowling well or not bowling well. What we are focussing on for Shikha and everyone is we do what we are supposed to do, trying to keep the results out of our heads. She is working hard, she has the experience, if she continues with it, she will have a good tour," said batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar during the tri-series.
For the 470 days she was out of the Indian team, Shikha went through a rollercoaster of emotions as she tried to cope with the lows, and find joy in the sport she fell in love with in the first place. In her journey back, she has shown that you don't have to fight your battles alone; it is okay to be vulnerable and to seek a helping hand. Now, with her "tribe" behind her, the pacer, who was the second-highest wicket-taker for India in the 2020 T20 WC, is ready to roar again. Next up on her list — Mission South Africa.