In a fascinating interview with Cricket TimesSouth African broadcaster Lesego Poo shared her journey from a cricket-filled childhood with her family to becoming a prominent figure in sports broadcasting. Lesego, who hosts Lions Cricket TV on SuperSport, not only brings passion to her commentary, but also plays a significant role in championing women's cricket. Her story is an inspiration, driven by the early influences of her father and brothers, who are avid cricket watchers.

Leseg's narrative highlights the transformative power of mentorship and representation in sports media. Her journey began with a spark of interest at the tender age of seven, watching cricket with her family, which evolved into a professional passion after being inspired Cass Naidoothe first female cricket commentator in South Africa. This encounter not only motivated her to enter the field of broadcasting, but also taught her the importance of representation and recognition, especially for women in sports. Her dedication to her craft, coupled with her strategic use of social media, has seen her rise from a YouTube content creator to a recognized voice in cricket broadcasting, particularly in advocating and celebrating the growth of women's cricket.

Here are some highlights from the interview:

Q: How has winning a 'Women in Social Media' award affected your career?

Lesego: Yes, I won a social media wife and it was so great to walk away with that award because when you look at my journey, the reason I am where I am today is because of the power of social media. I decided to use this platform and this tool to get where I want to be, which means big broadcasters can see me and give me an opportunity in the broadcast space because at the end of the day you know TV is where it's exactly happening and so i remember i started my youtube channel in 2018 i was covering t20 competition in South Africa and I did match recaps on my YouTube channel.

I specifically focused on just cricket because I knew I wanted to be in the cricket industry and be a cricket broadcaster and presenter, so it felt like a full circle because that's where I started, that's where my cricket journey started and that I walked away with that award, it kind of confirmed the work I was doing and what I was good at I'm working and I've been seen by the right people in this industry and it's kind of encouraged me to be seen by the right people because even after that time I came to work for a fair break, I came to work for Super Sport now I contract broadcaster for Super Sport, two to three years have already passed and that award really reminded me that my work has been recognized and to go in the right direction.

Q: How has the women's cricket scene in South Africa developed over the years?

Lesego: Women's cricket has grown by leaps and bounds and I started around the time when women's games started to be broadcast a lot more and that speaks to the fact that there is an appetite for women's cricket, it has grown and continues to grow and that's good for superport to be the main a broadcast that has been broadcasting well and they could show the games in South Africa, so there is definitely an appetite for women's cricket and especially looking at the fact that the Proteas women's team made it to the final when the Women's T20 World Cup was here in South Africa and there was an appetite for it and you could see the stadiums were filled to capacity at Newlands and I had luck to be there and I remember thinking about the time when there would only be 10 to the stadium 20 to 40 spectators, but from me being able to see when there was a time when there were no spectators to see a packed stadium at Newlands for a women's game was great to see.

And like I said, the appetite is definitely there and the women's game continues to grow and I love what Cricket South Africa has done, they've given the women players the same match fees as the men, yes, so they're all on the same level as they are. what they've done is they've also professionalized women's domestic cricket in this country and they've made it professional and that's good and we know that in the coming years there's going to be an SA20 Women's League and that's so exciting that there's a buzz around women's cricket and now there's test cricket taking place between south africa and England, and the last test match that was in 2002 and you know we are living in exciting times for women's cricket and for me the reason why I stand for women's cricket was because I am a woman, I played the game and I understand what it means only a woman who play the game and we are skilled, we are talented and we deserve the sponsors we deserve to be professional, we deserve the same amount of money men get, we deserve it all and like I said we live in exciting times for women cricket.

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Q: Can you walk us through the preparation process before you go live?

Lesego: Preparation is so crucial that fact number one is okay, it's that important. So, for example, I will now be covering the South Africa vs England series. I cover T20s and so this is how preparation works for me. I'm at my desk, actually, I have a lot of notes, so what do I usually have to go through. I start with so for example England I have to look at the games they have played in what series they have been involved in, look at their recent T20 World Cup campaign what it has been like for them at the outstanding performances look at what has gone wrong and can see this season how was their campaign throughout the season, and then they can read.

I have also read articles that have been written around England and even just press releases relating to this series against South Africa. What are they looking forward to, what do they want to improve and work on what they would like to give in the series against South Africa, they have also played Test cricket and so this is a great preparation for them going into the Ashes against Australia and so you look there is such a nice story that you can exit research and display that story in your live matches, so from England look at South Africa's performances of their players who went to the VBBL how their performances are. Do they go into the series against England with form or without form and that's what you watch so that's preparation, read a lot of articles. If there are certain players you're not familiar with, look study, players read some articles about that player, do your research and put yourself in a position where you feel like you've covered all your bases because it helps with your nerves going into it knowing you've covered everything you should have covered and ready to rock and roll, like that that it's just an overview of how I go about my preparations.

Q: If you could host a global sporting event, which one would you choose?

Lesego: I am looking forward to working on the number one ICC event. I want to start by being a digital insider. I don't know if you've seen that role at ICC, just start with the digital Insider. I have a state plan. I really like to get to the point where I work as a digital insider and then progress and become one of the hosts of any women's ICC event and I definitely want to work for a women's event but definitely India I would love to go back in India I was on tour with women's Proteas 2019. I was the media manager for only a month and I was able to I'm going to India.

I went to Vadodara, I went to Surat and I was able to just immerse myself in the Indian culture and their food and India has always been a great country to go to and so I want to be able to find myself covering just the women's league that side and so it would be great for me to be a part of something so big because India, be it for men or for the women's game, Indians are really passionate about cricket and so I would definitely love to be a part of that, but I mean there are endless hundreds of VBBLs, there are so many T20 leagues happening for women and whether I get one or two leagues that's more than enough and I hope that in the coming years SA20 will be happening for women and loved I would like you to be a part of that team so that the world is my oyster.

Q: Which current players in modern cricket excite you the most?

Lesego: Laura Wollwaardtlet me tell you something she is a monster to coach she takes her cricket seriously she takes her captaincy seriously and we remember when she started Laura was always referred to as someone who is the next best cricketer and but her game has always been good in format 50 over, but there was a moment when it changed her game because she realized that T20 is where it's happening and she started working on her game and now you'd never say that Laura was more of a longer format person because now her T20 game is exceptional. Her consistent performances She has always piled on the runs. She has always been the player who sets the tone for every game South Africa plays, she is consistent, she is reliable and she is exceptional. I think her cover is driving, everyone is talking about Laura's covers and she's still young, it's hard to believe she's still young and has many years in the industry and is so set to be one of the greatest cricketers the world has ever seen and that's a player I'm excited about, that's a player that I will still be excited.

Watch the full interview:

https://vvv.youtube.com/vatch?v=ASuvkVv46gA

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This article was first published on WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times society.