“I love the beauty of playing cricket,” reflects this month’s Don Deeble Sports Star award winner.
Jasmine Kamboj was only six when she became restless watching her older brother and father playing cricket and wanted to play.
Milo cricket enticed her before she joined mixed teams in the under-10s and under-12s with Sydenham-Hillside.
“I love the team environment cricket provides, meeting new friends and being challenged on the field,” she said.
Kamboj has had a meteoric rise through cricket ranks.
She was selected in North West Metropolitan Cricket Association rep teams three years in a row, including captain one year.
Kamboj was selected as an all-rounder in her early matches, making her first hundred in her under-14 representative year.
“It was pretty cool. I still really can’t believe it.”
Kamboj was then selected for Victoria in the under-16 and under-19 National Championships which again saw her standout.
However it was after playing in the Victoria Premier Cricket Marg Jennings Cup, Kamboj was identified as an emerging pace bowler by Cricket Victoria.
Kamboj bowls consistently at 110km/h and has a top speed of 115km/h.
“I am not sure why I can bowl so fast, it has been a natural progression,” she said.
“There is some suggestion that I am hyper flexible that gives me the extra pace.”
At 14 she was playing senior women’s cricket with Sydenham-Hillside and Melton Centrals.
She then moved to Premier Cricket with Carlton playing in their second and third XI.
Kamboj was selected in an under-19 Australian team to tour Sri Lanka in September at just 15 last year.
“It was an amazing learning experience, to play in another country against international talent,” she said.
“I was one of the youngest players to be selected.”
Once she returned, she spent the WBBL pre-season with the Melbourne Stars and played in some of their warm up games.
“I was bowling to players I only watched on TV,” she said.
“I played with Meg Lanning in the T20 Spring Challenge in Sydney.
“I still can’t believe that. I was playing with women I’d pay to go and watch.”
Kamboj attends Maribyrnong Sports Academy and believes that their program of strength and conditioning has helped her bowling:
Kamboj, plays or trains six days a week, even choosing to play in an underage competition on Tuesday nights with her friends.
On Saturdays, she has personal one-on-one coaching sessions.
“My strength is my ability to bowl fast, but my weakness is to consistently put it into areas that will get batters out. I think I am improving.”
Kamboj’s next goal is to be selected in the 2027 under-19 World Cup squad.
“That would be amazing.”
The Don Deeble Sports Star Award is sponsored by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club, Strathmore Community Bank, the Deer Park Club, Ascot Vale Sports and Trophies and Star Weekly Newspapers.
If you would like to nominate a monthly winner, contact swrsportsclub@gmail.com or 0408 556 631.
