Isa Guha

One of my heroes growing up was Darren Gough, he always made things happen and I wanted to be like him.

I have always enjoyed male company, which has probably stemmed from playing in boys/men's teams while growing up.

It's no secret that women's cricket needs India performing on the global stage, and any male support is welcome - with key voices like Sachin Tendulkar stating that women's cricket is critical to the future of our game, hopefully people will listen.

I am following the IPL. I think it would be great for the women's game, creating more competition and showcasing the world's best players from different countries. It would also be a stepping-stone to women's cricket becoming professional.

With tournaments such as the Women's Big Bash and the Kia Super League, women are now well practised in the art of big strokeplay.

I realised my dream of playing for England when I first met Claire Taylor and then Charlotte Edwards at the age of 11. I didn't even know there was an England Women's team until then.

I made my England debut when I was 17, against India. I was the first Asian to play for the England women's team, and I did have mixed feelings playing against the country my parents are from but I was born and bred in England and I've always known I wanted to play for my country.

Just having the support from the male players is important as the women's game moves forward.

To people who don't take women's cricket seriously, I'd say: just watch a game first, and then make your judgement.

I wasn't aware of women's cricket until I was 10. We grew up following the men's game.

It's not that there has never been a keen following for women's cricket in India.

In 2015, I was privileged to host the first ever televised Women's Test match during the 2015 Women's Ashes on Sky Sports, which saw every game covered of the multi-format series.