It's been a long time coming: Abbi Aitken-Drummond

With a remarkable 19-year career, Abbi Aitken-Drummond has transitioned from one of the youngest players representing Scotland in World Cup qualifiers to the senior-most member of the squad. Debuting at just 14 years old, she has faced numerous challenges and triumphs as a Scottish allrounder.

Now 33, Aitken-Drummond has seen the evolution of international cricket firsthand and led the national side in the 2015 T20 World Cup qualifiers, where the team finished fourth. Her experience will be invaluable as Scotland prepare for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Aitken-Drummond, who is married to former Scottish cricketer Annette Drummond, had to miss the 2024 T20 World Cup qualifier due to maternal responsibilities. It was a bittersweet moment for her as Scotland embarked on a historic campaign, beating Ireland to secure a spot in the T20 World Cup. Returning from injury and balancing her responsibilities to participate in Scotland's inaugural T20 World Cup was no easy feat.

Born and raised in Scotland, Aitken-Drummond’s lifelong love for sports has shaped her journey. In a conversation with Women’s CricZone, she opens up about her struggles with injuries, the time away from cricket due to motherhood, and her excitement on being part of Scotland's maiden T20 World Cup.

Q: First of all, congratulations to you for qualifying for the T20 World Cup. How does it feel to finally qualify for the T20 World Cup after coming close several times, especially as you were part of the 2008 qualifiers as one of the youngest members?

Yeah, it's been a long time coming, for sure. I think it was so. One of our historians the other day said, it's been 19 years since I made my debut for Scotland, which is actually incredible just to think that it's been that long. So, yeah, certainly been a long time coming and just so excited for everyone involved, both players that have come before us and players and staff that are within the team just now that you know we know it. We've known it's been possible for a long time. So to finally do it and finally get over the line, it was just incredible to see the team and how they played. So, yeah, we're so ready to be here. We've been wanting to be here for a long time, and now it's here.

Q: Winning the semi-final against Ireland and qualifying for the T20 World Cup must have been an incredible moment. Although you were not part of that campaign, how did it feel to you?

Yeah, it was a bit of a bittersweet moment, if I'm honest. So obviously, I wasn't available for the Qualifiers. I was on parental leave with my daughter, so I was unavailable to travel with the squad. It was really hard not being there with the team, but getting to watch from home was just so good. Each game, as the girls were putting in these performances and seeing the reality getting closer and closer, I thought, we knew before going into the tournament we could do it. So, I think watching and seeing the performances that were being put in and just how well the team was playing together, I was so, so proud of every single person because I know exactly what it means.

Obviously, to not be there was hard, but just (to see) brilliant performances (and) everyone contributed, which is even better. And yeah, just an unreal moment that will live long in the memory for everyone, whether we were there or not.

Q: In the last Qualifier Scotland was in a different flow throughout the tournament. And we can see that. What are your thoughts?

Yeah, absolutely. It was. And it was a similar team, to be honest. I think that's what made it all the sweeter this time around; it's not drastically different players. So we have a lot of players who have carried that heartache for so long, and we've come closer than we have in other qualifiers. We've also had poor Qualifiers where we probably didn't stand a chance. But I think I can't really understand the exact feeling that the players who were there would be feeling, but certainly sitting at home watching with my baby daughter on the sofa, it was unbelievable. So if it felt like that for me, I can't even imagine what it would feel like to have been there.

Q: How difficult was it to miss that last T20 World Cup qualifier due to maternal leave? And what has the overall experience been like overcoming injuries and challenges to rejoin this squad?

It was really, really tough. Like I said, it was the first global qualifier that I hadn't been a part of, and that was really hard. As an athlete, you often miss out on things because of injury. So knowing that I was at home fit and ready to play cricket, but also spending quality time with my nine-month-old baby, was really tough. I would have loved to have been there in some way, shape, or form, and I think it should be okay to be a mother and a player. But we couldn't make that work this time around, so it was really hard to sit and watch, absolutely.

But at the same time, it was for good reasons. I wasn't sitting there injured; I was sitting there with my baby. So that was really nice to see. But it then did set a little bit of a mental challenge, I guess. The players that went to the Qualifiers did extremely well, and I knew that I was going to have to work harder than ever before to get back into that squad. But in a time where my life had become more challenging with becoming a parent, it’s not been an easy ride at all over the last few months.

I'm an amateur cricketer; I have a full-time job. I don't have the luxury of being a contracted player. So all these sorts of thoughts were going through my mind, thinking, "How am I going to do this?" But I just knew that if I didn't try, I would regret that. I had to do what I could with the time that I had and work as hard as I could to try and put in performances where it was possible and hope it would be enough. Thankfully, it was.

When I got the call, I probably wasn't expecting it, and it took a wee while to actually digest the fact that I'd made the 15. But of course, I was so delighted to be back. It's been a year since I've played with the team, but coming back in, the girls were so supportive. They know the journey that I've obviously been on and how long I've been around. I think I've been here when everyone in this team has made their debut. So I think that's been pretty special. They know how much it means to everyone, but I think they in particular know how much it means to me. It was really nice to receive messages from the players in the squad and those players who hadn't made it as well. Everyone was just really supportive, which made it that extra, extra special for me.

Q: Now the T20 World Cup is around the corner. What does it mean to you, personally or professionally, to play in Scotland's maiden T20 World Cup? And are there any different kinds of preparations for this event?

I don't really think I can quite put it into words, to be honest. And if I try, I'll probably start crying, which you don't want to see. So, it just means everything, to be honest. Like I said, it's been such a long time coming. I have been there when it's been hard. We've not been very professional. We've not had the support that we thankfully do now. So I think to come through that journey and still be a part of it, you know, there have been times where I questioned it, asking, "Is it time for me to sort of hang up the boots? Is it time to let the youth come through?" There are all these doubts that do go through your head at the ages that I'm at. But there was a part of me that wanted to prove to myself and prove to some people as well that I can still be here and still can compete with the players around me, especially now that the majority of my team are professional cricketers. That's really, really exciting and just obviously something that's not been part of my journey. But yeah, I think I'm so proud of myself that I am here, and I'm so proud to play for Scotland. I always have been, and yeah, it just means the world, to be honest, to be here with people who I call great friends and to be part of history as one of the 15 players that are here for the first time ever. So it's just everything.

Q: But as a senior player, do you feel a sense of responsibility, burden, or motivation to guide the team in the T20 World Cup?

I think responsibility is something I've always felt, whether I've been given a direct role or not in any leadership capacity. So I've always played for Scotland with pride and passion, and I'm always someone who's very aware of how I conduct myself around people that know me and people that don't. I think that's a huge part of playing for Scotland—how we come across and the legacy that we (want to) leave behind. So yeah, without a doubt, whether my role is in the starting XI or not, I take that leadership role seriously and absolutely know that part of my job is to help players around me, players with less experience sometimes, and sometimes players with more experience. It's just a case of having conversations with people and making sure every single one of us gets the most out of the experience because we're not going to take it for granted. We obviously know we have the ability to be at future World Cups, but with the number of teams that get to participate, we know that it's not always a given.

In T20 cricket, anything can obviously happen. So knowing that we have to go through two qualifying stages, both European and then global, to get here and it's not always easy and it's not always a given. We don't take it for granted. We're not going to take this experience for granted. And yeah, I'm absolutely going to make sure that both myself and the players around me get the most out of this experience because who knows when the next World Cup will be or if we'll be here or not. So we're going to live every moment.

Q: So when we are talking about the T20 World Cup, we have to talk about the T20 World Cup squad. And we need to talk about The Bryce sisters' journey from squad members to leading the team in the T20 World Cup.

Where do you start? I think I'm also sick of talking about The Bryce sisters because of that. No, they are just incredible athletes, incredible cricketers, incredible humans, to be honest and we were speaking about this yesterday, actually, and the bond that they have as sisters is quite unique. Oh, I have a sister myself; we get on, but I wouldn't quite say it's the same friendship that the Bryces have. So it's a really cool thing to see. They are two unique individuals; they're very different. But the friendship that they have and the talent as well is just unbelievable. We absolutely do look up to them off the pitch, but obviously, on the pitch, the contributions they've had in the Scotland shirt have been... We're very fortunate, for one. But I think they absolutely deserve to be here. Obviously, everybody does, but the contributions in particular to the performances they've put in in the past have been significant.

There have been a few qualifiers where maybe the others haven't contributed as much as we would have liked, but they have. I think it's absolutely deserved that they're here and get the chance to compete in a World Cup because they have, for so long, set the standards that we want to emulate in a Scotland shirt as well. So yeah, I'm so excited for them. They're just incredible humans, and we're very lucky to have them play with the Scotland badge on their chest, that's for sure.

Q: So, the T20 World Cup venue changed from Bangladesh to the UAE. Has this affected the team's preparation in any way?

Not really, to be honest. We're quite used to having to be adaptable and flexible with changes; we don't often get the luxury of a Future Tours Programme (FTP), for example, so we don't often know where or when our next game is. So there is an element of the team being ready and being used to that, for sure. When the whispers started that it was moving, it didn't really faze the players, to be honest. We are used to playing in the UAE, so that's something that was a benefit. I don't think it's changed anything too drastically. Condition-wise, climate-wise, it's a far cry from Scotland, so we knew that we were going to have to adapt regardless of where the tournament was. So no, I don't think it's been a major talking point, and it's not been any sort of distraction or caused any issues. The team and we, like I say, we're just delighted to play in a World Cup. Regardless of where it is or when it is, we're going to be ready.

Q: After qualifying for the U-19 T20 World Cup and now the T20 World Cup, what's next for you and the team?

I don't know. I don't really think that's in our hands, to be honest. I think we just have to keep playing the next game that's in front of us. And like I said, we don't have the luxury of knowing often when these are going to come. We as players do what we can to voice our, I wouldn't necessarily say concerns, but voice our frustration sometimes of not knowing that, and that isn't really within our control. It's quite often not in Cricket Scotland's control either.

I think we just want to keep putting the pressure on to say we're ready. We want to play more international cricket. We're aware we need to play more cricket outside of ICC tournaments, and there's quite a few barriers in place in order for us to do that. But, yeah, I think what comes next is just we go again and we try and qualify for that next major tournament. And there's also the 50-over World Cup coming up. I think we have a place in the Qualifier for that. So that will be probably the next immediate goal.

And yeah, it's just a case of working cycle to cycle at the moment until we have a bit more of a plan in place for future tour programs and whatnot. So, it is a case of just go World Cup to World Cup and Qualifier to Qualifier. And that's kind of reset.

Q: I'm sure the team is not just here to participate in the T20 World Cup, but to try and win it. What do you have to say about that? 

Absolutely, I think you're never going to turn up to a World Cup to just participate. It's T20 cricket, and we all know anything can happen. Anything is possible.So, we have a squad that's good enough to win games of cricket. We've shown that three times, and I'm really excited about the 15 players that we have here as well. We tick a lot of boxes in terms of different skill sets, different players, and different experiences, and players who have played around the world in different conditions. So, yeah, we're super excited. We're absolutely not here to just join in; we're here to win games of cricket. Is it going to be tough? Yes, but that's international cricket.

The one thing that we are used to doing in a Scotland shirt is every game is a must-win. Again, we don't have the luxury of playing many series where it's just a game of cricket. There's always something on the line, whether that's qualification or ranking. There's always something there that we need to play for. So we're very used to playing games of cricket where we have to go in fighting, and we have to come out with a result. Hopefully, that will stand us in good stead.

Q: So you have seen cricket evolving over the decades. How do you feel about the T20 World Cup expanding to 12 teams in 2026 and 16 teams in 2030?

At my age, it hasn't happened quickly enough! I would have loved to see that happen a lot earlier than it has. But yeah, of course, it's progress, so I'm actually going to be happy about that. It has been a long time coming, and I would have liked to see it happen quicker, but that's not been the case. So yeah, of course, it's going to be certainly good for Scotland, and we are happy about that. It will hopefully provide more opportunity; you know, having played so many associates over the years, there's so much talent out there that just doesn't get the opportunity to show that, which I don't think is right. So, yeah, we are delighted, obviously for ourselves, but for the other associates that we know have the ability to compete on a world stage just like we did. So yeah, it'll be really, really good, especially for associate cricket.

Q: Let's get back and talk about how your journey in the sport began. What sparked your interest in cricket?

So as a kid, I played any sport that anyone would give me the chance to play. My mom worked at a local sports centre and quite often had the evening shift. So after school, I’d have my dinner and go down to the sports centre, where I would play any sport that was free. If there was an empty squash court, I was on it. If the football pitch was free, I was there kicking a ball around. Any sport, I was there. Thankfully, I had a local cricket coach turn up at my primary school, and I’d never played the sport at all. They wanted to enter a team into a quick cricket festival, and part of the rules stated that they needed to have a girl play. So I was that sort of, I guess, token girl that played sports—like, "Let’s give Abbi a go." Then I ended up being the player of the tournament, having never played the game before.

I guess I had a bit of a natural ability, and I just fell in love with it from there. I loved the fact that there were so many different skills involved in the game, that you got to hit the ball as hard as you could, and then you got to try and bowl and get people out. I loved fielding; I loved the fact that I could dive around and try to catch the ball. Cricket just ticked so many boxes for me, and thankfully, my local club had a really good junior setup, and I just never left. I spent all my summers down at the local club and just grew from there.

At that age, I'm making myself sound old here, but the Scotland setup got in touch with my mom when I was 13 or 14 and asked for me to come and play a game. That’s when I made my debut; no U-17 or U-19 programmes existed at that point. So it was sort of straight in from club cricket to, "Right, you’re playing for Scotland women tomorrow." It started from there, and I just never looked back. I learned the sport, loved the sport and never looked anywhere else.