Going to bat: Women’s cricket captain Winifred Anne Duraisingam on loving the game and dreaming big

During her first friendly club match at the Royal Selangor Club, she was the only girl on the team and managed to bowl out ex-Malaysian national cricketer Hector Durairatnam. 

“I was bowling, and Hector Durairatnam was on the other side batting. I remember I got his wicket,” Winifred says with a coy grin. “Until today, his brother remembers me as the girl who got his brother’s wicket.”

Asking her uncle who “the small boy bowling” was (back then her hair was shorter), Hector was told of Winifred’s love for the game and exclaimed good-naturedly, “A girl bowled and got my wicket?” Immediately, Hector suggested Winifred try out for the national squad, which is exactly what she did under David’s guidance.

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In 2007, she was selected to represent Malaysia for the Under-19 category and eventually for the senior team as well. Winifred continued to improve her game, competing in the ACC Under-19 Women’s Championship and defeating Hong Kong in the semi-final. Shortly after this, she received the captaincy for the national team. At the age of 21, she was made captain of the senior team and has not looked back in her 17-year cricket career.     

“From the start, I’ve been [blessed] with parents and family members who have always fully supported me,” says the 31-year-old right-arm bowler, whose father passed away when she was just 13. “I’m proud that I still have that same support today after many years of playing. Over school breaks, my family would send me for a month to Australia or Sri Lanka to train.” 

It was this international exposure and participation in overseas tournaments that gave Winifred invaluable experience and perspective on her strengths and capabilities in cricket. “I gained a lot of experience from training overseas. You can see how the others train and how they talk about cricket.

“At first, I was only a bowler. When I went to Australia at the age of 15 over my school break, I saw the female players hitting the ball really aggressively, and I remember going to my uncle and saying I also want to hit a ball like that. That same day, he took me to the net and said ‘I’ll bowl and you just hit.’ Over time, I improved my batting skills too,” adds Winifred, who is an all-rounder, referring to a player proficient at both batting and bowling.

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Through the years, the Malaysian women’s cricket team continued to give exceptional performances, from the 2017 SEA Games to the 2023 Asian Games, steadily growing greater awareness and support of women’s cricket in the country.

Meanwhile, Winifred continued to distinguish herself on the international arena, playing at the FairBreak International T20 tournaments for two years. She represented Malaysia at the world’s first invitational women’s cricket tournament, which saw six teams comprising players from 36 countries play in an International Cricket Council (ICC)-sanctioned tournament.

Winning over her teammates and onlookers at the FairBreak Invitational 2022 in Dubai, where she was named Player of the Match, Winifred’s quick learning abilities and go-getter work ethic have given her an edge and will doubtless bring her closer to her dream of playing in the ICC Women’s World Cup one day.

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“The best moments for me have been representing the country in the Asian Games and SEA Games, and also qualifying by merit for the Asia Cup. This July in Sri Lanka will be the third time we are representing Malaysia in the Asia Cup, where we’ll be playing India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh—all the big cricket teams. It’s exciting to play against international cricketers whom you’ve only seen before on TV, but now you’re playing against them live right in front of your eyes. It’s a great opportunity for us Malaysians to raise our flag high, play good cricket, and just play our best,” says Winifred, adding that opportunities today by way of tournaments and leagues are much more plentiful for female players compared to when she started out.

“In Malaysia, you wouldn’t get that many girls playing cricket professionally,” she says. “Now after the SEA Games, the Asian Games and the Asia Cup, you can see younger girls coming up and playing this sport, whether it’s in school or in tournaments by the Malaysian Cricket Association. 

“I started cricket just for fun, playing out on the street with my brother and neighbours. I never dreamt that I would play for Malaysia when I got the chance. Cricket is one of the most beautiful sports. It taught me discipline, it taught me how to understand people, right down to understanding each individual player when leading the team. You start to learn so much from these experiences, and ultimately you understand yourself more as well by playing this sport.”

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