Global superstars sign on for FairBreak Invitational

Ninety cricketers from more than 30 countries, including five Australians, will take part in a unique six-team, 12-day tournament this month that aims to promote and grow the women's game.

The FairBreak Invitational will feature some of the leading women's cricketers in the world thanks to an impressive recruitment drive that has netted five of the eight captains from the recent ODI World Cup.

The tournament will run from May 4-15 with all 19 games to be played at the Dubai International Stadium and broadcast around the world, including in Australia on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

In addition to Heather Knight, Sophie Devine, Stafanie Taylor, Sune Luus and Bismah Maroof, who all captained their respective countries at the World Cup earlier this year, global stars like Suzie Bates, Laura Wolvaardt, Hayley Matthews, Danni Wyatt, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail and Sophie Ecclestone will also take part.

The Australian contingent will be led by Australia allrounder Nicola Carey, who will captain the Spirit, and WBBL stars Elyse Villani, Grace Harris and Georgia Redmayne as well as young Sydney Sixers leg-spinner Jade Allen.

Players from Associate nations like Thailand, Brazil, Rwanda and Vanuatu will also be involved.

The tournament, which was originally scheduled to be played in Hong Kong but has been moved to the UAE due to quarantine and travel restrictions, has been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council but is privately funded.

FairBreak Global's mission statement is "to create opportunities that progress gender equality on a truly global scale, using cricket as our primary vehicle".

A FairBreak XI has played a handful of exhibition games around the world since 2018, with the likes of Alex Blackwell and Lisa Sthalekar being heavily involved over the years, while former Australia fast bowler Geoff Lawson is the director of cricket for the 2022 event.

FairBreak Global's Australian founder Shaun Martyn, who has helped organise exhibition and corporate cricket events for almost two decades, says the tournament is the culmination of years of work.

"The purpose … was to create a global T20 tournament for women, which would help advance the opportunity, the revenue stream for women (and) the remuneration," Martyn said this week. "All the things that would go towards producing a situation where there's true professionalism in the women's game.

"It's been a long journey to getting these approvals in place, getting people to understand that we were not a competitive organisation, we were here to complement cricket and develop it around the world.

"In many of the countries that we have investigated and invited players from, there are wonderful players who are the equal of who you would term the better-known players around the world. But they have no way of showcasing their skills or their talents."

Matches start at 10pm and 2am AEST and will be broadcast in Australia on beIN Sports, which is available on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

FairBreak Invitational 2022 – Squads

Barmy Army

Heather Knight (c) (ENG), Laura Wolvaardt (RSA), Selina Solman (VAN), Deandra Dottin (WI), Kavisha Kumari (UAE), Shemaine Campbelle (WI), Fatima Sana (PAK), Rumana Ahmed (BAN), Tara Norris (USA), Roberta Moretti Avery (BRA), Rubina Chhetri (NEP), Laura Cardoso (BRA), Ruchi Venkatesh (HK), Henriette Ishimwe (RWA), Iqra Sahar (HK) 

Falcons

Suzie Bates (c) (NZ), Danni Wyatt (ENG), Britney Cooper (WI), Marizanne Kapp (RSA), Mariko Hill (HK), Theertha Satish (UAE), Sornarin Tippoch (THAI), Kaia Arua (PNG), Nannapat Koncharoenkai (THAI), Christina Gough (GER), Gunjan Shukla (SWE), Marina Lamplough (HK), Chamari Athapaththu (SL), Anju Gurung (BHU), Jahanara Alam (BAN)

Tornadoes

Stafanie Taylor (c) (WI), Sophie Devine (NZ), Sterre Kalis (NED), Andrea-Mae Zepeda (AUT), Katey Martin (NZ), Chanida Sutthiruang (THAI), Mary-Anne Musonda (ZIM), Sune Luus (RSA), Sita Rana Magar (NEP), Aliya Riaz (PAK), Divya Saxena (CAN), Winfred Duraisingam (MAL), Natasha Miles (HK), Maryam Bibi (HK), Diana Baig (PAK) 

Spirit

Nicola Carey (AUS) (c), Bismah Maroof (PAK), Sophia Dunkley (ENG), Chaya Mughal (UAE), Betty Chan (HK), Sarah Bryce (SCO), Nattakan Chantam (THAI), GK Diviya (SGP), Nattaya Boochatham (THAI), Anuradha Doddaballapur (GER), Sophie Ecclestone (ENG), Ayabonga Khaka (RSA), Fatuma Kibasu (TAN), Shizuka Miyaji (JAP), Yasmin Daswani (HK)

Sapphires

Sana Mir (PAK), Kim Garth (IRE), Kary Chan (HK), Shabnim Ismail (RSA), Tash Farrant (ENG), Geetika Kodali (USA), Maryam Omar (KUW), Shebani Bhaskar (USA), Babette de Leede (NED), Jade Allen (AUS), Elyse Villani (AUS), Gabby Lewis (IRE), Grace Harris (AUS), Emma Lai (HK), Christine Lovino (PHI)

Warriors

Sindhu Sriharsha (c) (USA), Hayley Matthews (WI), Georgia Redmayne (AUS), Mignon du Preez (RSA), Kathryn Bryce (SCO), Shamilia Connell (WI), Esha Oza (UAE), Udeshika Prabodhani (SL), Celeste Raack (IRE), Shameelah Mosweu (BW), Yasmeen Khan (NAM), Shanzeen Shahzad (HK), Bella Poon (HK), Mariana Martinez (ARG), Jennifer Alumbro (PHI)