“The last 20 years have been truly amazing. I have enjoyed every single minute of it,” said Anisa Mohammed on January 18 when the former West Indies off-spinner announced her retirement from the sport, ending a 20-year-long international career.
At age 14, Mohammed played her first game for the national women’s team in 2003 against Grenada. Her rise in the sport was rapid. That same year, she went on to represent the West Indies women’s team against Japan in Holland.
Born and raised in Sangre Grande, Mohammed had family and friends as a support system. Her parents were involved in cricket, thereby exposing both her and her twin sister, Alisa to the sport. The twin sisters weren’t the only ones involved in sports. Their twin brothers Ashmeed and Ashmeer Mohammed also participated in sports. Clearly, cricket certainly ran in the family and of all her siblings, Anisa made it big in the sport.
Mohammed started her career as an amazing batter but instead gained fame as an outstanding bowler. She surprised many people from the T&T Women’s Cricket Association (TTWCA) when she made the most perfect back drive for four during her try-outs for the team according to the president of the TTWCA, Marjorie Thomas.
Speaking at the retirement ceremony for the great off-spinner, Thomas acknowledged that Mohammed was initially perceived as a batter, so it appears ironic to some individuals when people discuss her as a bowler and all the accomplishments she has attained in that position. “But we must not forget, that she loves her time with the bat,” Thomas joked.
After a stellar career which saw her help the West Indies Women win the 2016 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in India, the spinner believed it was time to retire.
“I believe the time has come for me to step away from the game and allow the young players to live their dreams as I have lived mine,” she told Guardian Media.
She played 258 matches for the West Indies Women. The highlight of her career was in 2016, not only when she won a World Cup but when she became the first player—male or female—to take 100 wickets in the shortest format of the game.
“To be honest, when I broke that record, I honestly thought it was just the first female, and it was only when I got back to the hotel that I found out it was males and females. To know you’ve passed players like Samuel Badree, Sunil Narine, Shahid Afridi, and Lasith Malinga, who were all still playing. I think that’s the highlight of my career,” she said.
She would use that momentum to help the West Indies Women win the World T20 that year. She added, “Also winning a World Cup. I think that’s a very special moment for not just me, but for the entire team. Not many people in the World Cup say they have won a World Cup.”
Despite all the victories and all the achievements, the biggest challenge for her was leaving family behind. According to her, many athletes experience a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but with more low days. When she spends the majority of her time with players, especially when travelling around the globe, she feels the absence of her family’s love and energy.
“I’m a family person, and I have spent a lot of time away from home and leaving family behind. After having a bad day or just a long day at cricket, you go back to the hotel with the same teammates. You’re not able to go back to that comfort with your family. I think that was one of my biggest challenges, not having my family able to travel with me,” she said.
However, after two decades at the highest level, cricket had a positive impact on her life. It made her more appreciative and calmer. The game, which allowed her to represent 1.3 million people in T&T and millions of others in the West Indies, has always inspired her to do her best, especially knowing the talent that drives her and the discipline it takes.
Last year, Mohammed participated in her last two tournaments —the Cricket West Indies Women’s Super 50 Cup and T20 Blaze. When the T&T Red Force Divas took on the Windward Islands and lost, Mohammed became very emotional knowing to herself it was her last match representing the red, white, and black, and even the women in maroon.
“I was crying last year when we lost to the Windward Islands because I knew that was my last opportunity to represent T&T, and we lost to them,” she recalled.
Now, she looks ahead to the future. The PowerGen player is currently employed at Arawak and Company Limited, in the accounting department, and is interested in coaching and working with the young and upcoming superstars. With the experience she has gained during her time and the amount of respect she has earned from the players, she believes it will be a great opportunity.
She has done work with T&T’s Under-19 team and Mohammed thinks she can help in working with both the local and regional teams.
“I am open and willing to work with the Trinidad and West Indies women’s team whenever the opportunity arises,” she said.
However, according to her, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done for women’s cricket.
She pleads for more youth women’s tournaments like U-15, U-17, and U-19, where the young cricketers can showcase their talents. As for now, they only play at the regional and international level.
“With the installation of the new programmes, that’s the only time players will be able to get better at the games. If they are not given opportunities, then it will become very difficult for them to move up the cricket ladder,” she said.
Mohammed referred to her experiences, where she had the opportunity to train and play matches with boys
“In my days, we played with the boys, so we were part of the boys’ programme, but now there isn’t any of that. There aren’t any programmes for women or anything like that.”
Mohammed will continue to be an icon for T&T and the West Indies, whether it is on or off the field.