Kate Cross Challenging the “Dinosaurs” Who Held Women’s Cricket Back

This week on Performance People, Georgie sits down with England cricketer Kate Cross for a conversation about resilience, identity and the moments that shape a sporting life. Recorded in Abu Dhabi at the end of 2025, before the SailGP Grand final, Kate looks back on the defining moment that changed everything: her Test debut in Perth in 2014. It came at the end of a turbulent period in which she had been dropped from the England academy, was struggling with her mental health at university and had begun to question whether cricket had a future for her at all. What followed was a brilliant summer, an England call-up and a debut Ashes victory at the WACA that helped launch both her international career and a new era for the women’s game. She reflects on the pressure of elite sport, the importance of rediscovering joy in performance, and why taking pressure off yourself can sometimes be the thing that allows you to perform at your best. Kate also speaks candidly about the professionalisation of women’s cricket, the visibility and investment that have transformed the game, and the barriers that still remain. There is also a powerful discussion about sexism in cricket, the outdated attitudes that once blocked girls from playing, and why equal opportunity, access and resource matter just as much as pay. As one of the senior voices in the dressing room, Kate explains why helping change the environment for the next generation now matters deeply to her. She also opens up about losing her England contract despite one of the most successful domestic seasons of her career and the emotional whiplash of professional sport when success and disappointment can sit side by side. 00:00 “Dinosaurs” who never wanted women to play cricket 00:33 Kate Cross on her surreal SailGP experience 03:02 The defining moment that changed everything 04:38 Why letting go of the dream helped 05:55 University pressure, doubt and depression 08:14 The call that brought England back into reach 09:48 Proving she belonged on the biggest stage 11:04 First ball nerves at the WACA 12:20 Why the Ashes in Australia are brutal 12:58 Kate Cross on Bazball 14:21 Can Test cricket still hold attention? 15:42 How professionalism changed women’s cricket 17:56 The barriers still holding the women’s game back 20:28 Leadership, influence and changing the culture 21:18 Losing her England contract 22:52 Golf, sailing and what retirement might look like ________________________________ The Performance People podcast, in partnership with J.P. Morgan Private Bank, talks to high-performers in the world of sport and beyond, to bring defining moments, hard-earned insights and expert advice to everyday performance. New episodes every Tuesday. ________________________________ ainslie + ainslie NIGHT POWDER, winner of Best Sleep Supplement in the GQ Sleep Awards 2025. We love performance, which is why we’ve launched ainslie + ainslie – the first supplement brand to be developed inside elite sport. Now available for everyone. Find out more at ________________________________ Connect with Performance People Hit

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Kate Cross Challenging the “Dinosaurs” Who Held Women’s Cricket Back is an episode from Performance People by Georgie Ainslie.

This episode is 24:12 long.

This episode was published on Apr 14, 2026.

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