Ash Barty is set to make a cricket comeback 10 years after his last match

Former world number one Ash Barty is set to return to cricket almost a decade after her last competitive appearance in the sport. The Australian star will make his T20 Cairns Gold Clash debut on November 22, 2026.

Barty will represent Team Cricket against Team Footy at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns in the celebrity match which is being introduced in Australia after gaining popularity in New Zealand.

She will be joined by several prominent names from Australian and international sport including Brian Lara, Usman Khawaja, Matt Hayden, Mike Hussey and Johnathan Thurston.

BARTY’S CRICKET CHAPTER

Barty’s cricket journey began during an 18-month break from professional tennis. After retiring from tennis after the 2014 US Open, she took up cricket and began training with the Queensland women’s team. She also played club cricket for the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Brisbane before being signed by the Brisbane Heat for the inaugural season of the Women’s Big Bash League.

Also Read: World No. 1 Tennis Star Ash Barty Announces Shock Retirement At 25

Her WBBL debut came on 5 December 2015 against the Melbourne Stars. Batting at No.6, Barty smashed 39 off 27 balls, including a six, in an innings that showcased her potential with the bat.

Barty played nine matches for the Brisbane Heat in the 2015–16 WBBL season, scoring 68 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 109.68. She also represented Queensland in two List A matches, scoring 11 runs.

Her last competitive cricket appearances came in the 2015–16 season before she returned to tennis in early 2016. Barty later credited her cricket experience with helping her rediscover her joy in the sport and said that the break ultimately made her a better tennis player.

FROM CRICKET TO TENNIS GREATNESS

Barty’s return to tennis marked the beginning of an extraordinary second chapter. In 2019, she won the French Open for her first Grand Slam singles title, followed it up with the Wimbledon crown in 2021, and won the Australian Open in 2022.

The Australian Open triumph was particularly significant as Barty became the first Australian woman in 44 years to win a singles title at Melbourne Park. She retired from professional tennis in March 2022, when she was world number one and the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion.

Barty ended her tennis career with three Grand Slam singles titles and spent 121 weeks at No. 1. Her return to cricket in Cairns will offer a rare glimpse of the former champion in a sport that played an important role during a pivotal period in her career.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

16 Sep 2026 18:05 IST