NEW DELHI: Former cricketer Isa Guha, the first woman of South Asian descent to represent England in any sport, has been awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours for her contributions to inclusivity and cricket.

A two-time World Cup winner, Guha featured in eight women’s Tests, 83 ODIs, and 22 T20Is, claiming a total of 148 wickets with her lively medium pace.

Guha retired from international cricket on March 9, 2012, the same day former Indian captain Rahul Dravid also bowed out of top-level cricket.

She was just 26 when she chose to end her playing career to focus on pursuits outside the sport.

However, she played a pivotal role in England’s victories in both the 50-over World Cup and the T20 World Cup in 2009.

Guha was also part of England’s two women’s Ashes triumphs in 2005 and 2007–08, recording career-best match figures of 9 for 100 at Bowral.

Following her retirement, Guha moved into commentary, following in the footsteps of contemporaries like Anjum Chopra and Lisa Sthalekar.

In 2017, she became the first woman appointed to the board of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) as a non-executive director.

Her broadcasting career received a boost in 2014 when she became the first female summariser for BBC Test Match Special and later covered the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

She also founded the charity trust ‘Take Her Lead’, which works to increase cricket participation among women and girls.

Born in 1985 to Barun and Roma, who migrated to London from Kolkata in the 1970s, Guha continues to maintain her connection with her ancestral town through regular visits.

In 2018, she married her longtime partner Richard Thomas, a musician in the band Brother & Bones.

(With PTI Inputs)