From Burnout to Breakthrough: Babette de Leede’s Journey to Pro Cricket

Babette de Leede, captain of the Dutch Women's Cricket Team © Babette de Leede

Dutch captain, Babette de Leede, joins from her patio in sun-kissed Cape Town. One training session for the day done, she is in the process of making final arrangements before flying to Nepal for a tri-series involving the hosts and Thailand. She will have another training session before she goes, probably squeezing in a run or a hike too. Professional cricket seems to suit de Leede, who is serene despite her hectic schedule. She knows that it’s something that she had to fight for, coming from a country with no professional pathways for women’s cricket. She also knows that, despite her obvious contentment in the Mother City, her ambitions stretch even further than representing Western Province.

“Living my whole life as a professional cricket player is something I've dreamed of that I never really thought could happen,” she says.

Although de Leede is rare as a professional player, her own development comes amidst a general improvement in the standard of Dutch cricket. “I think the level of women's cricket is improving,” she says. “If I look at the Netherlands we’re getting a lot better every single year.”

Despite the improvements in Dutch cricket, challenges remain. For aspiring cricketers, a lack of professional contracts provides an obstacle. “It's very hard to combine cricket and a full-time job,” says de Leede, “We find it very hard that people have to leave the Netherlands because they just can't afford to play anymore, which is a big problem.”

For de Leede, the way forward for women from associate nations is in the explosion of global franchise leagues around the world. “If franchise teams could get more associate players, that would be ideal,” she says, “not just because of the money but also the experience you gain from playing with and against the best in the world.”

Despite the fact that many franchise leagues around the world allow an extra overseas spot for associate players, few teams have utilised that option. To date, only two associate players have featured in India’s Women’s Premier League. “Franchise teams have no idea what it’s like for an associate player to get involved in those leagues”, says de Leede “it’s a shame and something that should be better.”

De Leede feels that she, and many of her associate colleagues, are ready for cricket at the highest level. “The gap between some of the associate players and the best in the world is not as big as in men's cricket,” she says “especially if you see the few associate players that do get involved in the Big Bash or the WPL, they actually all do quite well.”

However, she is not naïve about what it would take to succeed at a higher level. Making the jump from part-time to full-time cricket has brought de Leede into contact with players, like South African batter Laura Wolvaardt, who have spent years as part of high-performance pathways. “It’s very inspiring to play with and against the South African players,” says De Leede “not just on the field. Also, the way they live their life. It’s inspiring for me to see what it’s like to be at that level and how their lifestyle is different or similar to mine.”

Even though she is aware of the challenges of cricket at the top-level, de Leede remains quietly confident about her chances. The few times de Leede has gotten a chance to play at a high-level her performances seem to back this up. Playing for the Sapphires in the 2022 FairBreak Invitational T20 De Leede racked up 45 runs as part of a 100-run partnership with former Australian international, Elyse Villani, before completing a world-record 5 stumpings in a Player of the Match performance. “It was so cool,” she remembers, “I had never thought about breaking records in cricket. Especially when I didn’t even know they existed.”

That performance even registered in de Leede’s home country of the Netherlands, where cricket, particularly the women’s game, often happens away from the spotlight. “It’s a struggle,” says de Leede “You don’t know how many times people thought I was playing croquet.”

De Leede is used to being a fish out of water, though. Even in South Africa she finds herself standing out as the only full-time overseas professional in both the men’s and women’s game. Her background in associate cricket can sometimes be as confounding to her teammates as it was to her peers in the Netherlands. “There's only two clubs in the Netherlands that have turf wickets to practice on and you can’t use them often,” says de Leede “I don’t think my teammates always understand how lucky we are because for them top facilities are normal.”

Though the twin pressures of playing professionally and living between two hemispheres might be expected to take their toll, de Leede finds a measure of peace which escaped her when cricket was only a part of her life. “I’m a person that struggles to say no so, when I started studying, I played cricket, I studied, I explored the student life and it was way too much for me,” de Leede recalls “At one point I had a burnout and couldn’t do anything for six weeks.”

That period has opened de Leede’s eyes to the importance of managing the pressures of life as a professional. “I've learned to listen to my body a lot more,” she tells me “To say no and to enjoy the time when I have nothing to do.” It’s something she finds easier now than during her time as a part-time player “I think in the Netherlands I’ve never had that because my life is so busy, I’m always surrounded by people.”

Instead, in the world of professional cricket, and in South Africa’s Mother City, de Leede has found a refuge. “I can go watch the sunset or go for a hike. Things that make feel calm. I feel like Cape Town is my home now,” she says.

Even so, her achievements have only served to fuel her ambition. “I do feel like I have more potential. I think I would be good enough to play in those bigger leagues.”