After starring for the Proteas women’s cricket team for 16 years as a wicketkeeper/batter, Trisha Chetty, 34, confirmed her “painful” decision to retire from playing professionally last week.
Chetty’s retirement was not planned, a nagging back injury, which often forced her to play through the pain barrier over the past five years, prompted the decision.
Her crisp shot-making, athleticism and being a pair of “safe hands” when wearing the wicketkeeper’s gloves ensured her longevity with the national team.
Chetty’s ability to keep a cool-head in cauldron-like atmospheres during tight matches is another of her hallmarks that the Proteas will no longer have access to.
She’s made a habit of scoring important runs and effecting dismissals for the Proteas while playing at some famous international cricket venues and various World Cup competitions.
ESPNCricinfo, the well-known cricket statistics platform, records that Chetty’s international career began in 2007 with a One-Day International (ODI) match against Pakistan in Pretoria.
She has since played in 134 ODIs, 82 T20 games and three Test matches, scoring nearly 4 000 runs in all formats of the game, and involved in more than 250 catches and stumpings for the Proteas.
Chetty was keen to play on, but her will was not enough to keep her in.
“It was a very difficult decision because it had been made for me by my body,” she said, referring to a back injury that has hampered her since 2018.
After consulting with her coaches, family and others, she knew the unavoidable step she had to take.
“Everything good has to come to an end. Unfortunately for me, it came sooner than I expected.
“I’m just grateful to have had such a long and enjoyable career having started at age seven.
“Not being a part of team SA will be very difficult to come to terms with,” she said.
However, her long-term health was what she bore in mind when making the call.
“There is life after cricket and I didn’t want to suffer with my back later on. I had to think about the future.
“I love coaching, with my experience and knowledge as wicket-keeping specialist, I’m hoping to get opportunities in future,” she said.
When Chetty earned her first Proteas cap in 2007, the local women’s game was still wading in the backwaters.
“It wasn't really professional. If we were lucky, we would go on one or two tours each season. That’s when we got paid,” she said.
It was “a joy” nonetheless to play at that level.
She batted lower down the order for both her province (KZN) and the Proteas.
“One of my KZN coaches worked on my batting and decided that my good timing with the bat warranted a position at the top of the order.
“I started to make big scores, including some centuries. I also ended up being the Proteas’ opener for 10 years,” Chetty said.
In spite of her early achievements, Chetty admitted that she didn’t take the game very seriously.
“I was having fun. But once we became professionals It became harder because we always had to pass fitness tests to make tours. I began to work harder,” she said.
By improving her skills, fitness and nutrition, Chetty reaped the rewards.
Blocking her customary preference for her mom Janet’s curries was something that required diligent application, and she did for much of her playing days.
“I stuck to the dietician’s eating plan and moving away to Joburg also helped to cut down my curry-eating habits.
“But I did cheat at times with some savoury treats. We train very hard, so life has to also be enjoyed. It's how you manage yourself,” she said.
Chetty said there were many highlights during her playing days, especially the occasions when they beat some of the high-flyers of the women’s game, like England.
But each time she wore the Proteas’ colours, Chetty said: “My mind was always on doing something that would contribute to our team’s success, no matter how little it may be.”
She credits Ravi Govender, her former youth coach at Chatsworth United Cricket Club, as someone who played a pivotal role in what she was ultimately able to achieve in the game.
“There were many others who helped along the way,” she said.
Chetty also mentioned the contribution and support she received from her parents (Nelson and Janet) as invaluable.
“Mom and dad travelled to all my games.
“My interest in cricket sparked because of my mom. She saw many kids at the Road 217 sports field near my home, wearing their whites, and playing Bakers Mini-Cricket.
“She got one of the coaches to let me play and the rest is history,” she said.
Chetty got to play in the “boys” team. While her teammates were sceptical about her presence, those reservations eased when they saw her in action.
It was during those years that she forged a long-lasting bond with Denisha Devnarain, also from her neighbourhood of Bayview in Chatsworth.
Devnarain also played professionally, including the Proteas, and is presently the only Level 4 woman coach in the country.
“I always look back fondly on my Bakers days and my friendship with Denisha,” she said.
While Chetty agreed that the local women’s game has grown in stature over the years, she believed more could be done to develop it further and sponsorships would also help South Africa to compete with the bigger nations.
Enoch Nkwe, Cricket SA’s director of cricket said: “As one of the greatest wicket-keepers to ever play the game, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and huge congratulations for the outstanding career Trisha has enjoyed.”
SUNDAY TRIBUNE