Kristen Beams thought long and hard about retirement before committing to return to cricket after a serious Achilles injury that sidelined her for most of the year.
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The veteran Tasmanian leg-spinner and Melbourne Stars captain needed surgery after she ruptured her right Achilles tendon while batting for local club Essendon Maribyrnong Park late last season.
She then lost her Cricket Australia contract and weighed up whether it was worth getting back.
“I had lots of different thoughts across the injury,” the Exeter product, who moved to Victoria to chase her cricketing dreams, said.
“I’m 34. I didn’t want to come back and play poor cricket. I thought I only wanted to come back if I can do a job for the team.
“There were certainly times when I wondered whether it might be better off to retire.”
In her comeback games against the Perth Scorchers on the weekend, it was soon apparent that there was still some quality cricket left in Beams. After an underwhelming showing on Saturday, she took 3-13 on Sunday to help the Stars to a third win in five games.
“I was never going to be 100 per cent. I’m nine months into a 12-month injury. But it’s nice to be back, and also to say to myself that I can keep doing this. I’m still not playing my best cricket I don’t think, but I hope that’s not far away either.”
Beams has played for her country in all three formats of the game, including as recently as late last year, but with younger spinners like Georgia Wareham having emerged, the veteran acknowledged it was unlikely she would play for Australia again.
“I don’t feel like I’ve got something to prove in that respect. I’m not trying to prove the selectors wrong.
“I feel so blessed to be the captain of the Melbourne Stars.
“I think the ship has sailed [from a national perspective]. They’ve got some wonderful talent in that team. There’d be no reason for them to come back to a player like me. I totally get that, and that’s how the game has evolved. For me it’s just about playing cricket and enjoying the back end [of my career].”