She abruptly retired, moved to Canada to start a new life and is now back where she belongs
Shashank Kishore01-Oct-2024Deandra Dottin splashes cold water on her face to cool off after a series of timed sprints – two of her team-mates did try competing, but quickly conceded defeat. Seeing her, it feels like a power has possessed her. But it’s just Dottin – fiercely competitive on and off the field, always.She is 33, but her athleticism – “in-born and in my genes” – can leave you with your jaw on the floor. Remember catch from the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand? The World Boss, as she calls herself, is back, and the upcoming T20 World Cup could be the launchpad for what could be yet another memorable chapter in her career.There’s a bit more zing about her, and a smile that wasn’t always there in the past couple of years. In 2022, she abruptly retired citing reservations around the team environment. But a little more than two years on, she is looking to reignite that spark.Related
October 4 at T20 World Cup: SA face WI in potential quarter-final; dew to play big role in India vs NZ
Australian Deitz is trying to put more West Indies into West Indies cricket
England the best in Group B, but don't count out SA just yet
FAQs: The first ever women's T20 World Cup at a neutral venue
Dottin warns West Indies to get their house in order
“To be honest, I did miss international cricket,” Dottin tells ESPNcricinfo. “I missed the fun, the big stage.”I had a good period of reflection. I was able to assess my future goals, and I realised I was missing something I love. This [playing for West Indies] is all I’ve been doing since my teens. It was really hard to stay away for a bit longer.”Dottin makes it clear, though, that it wasn’t just her desperation that brought her back. “A lot of things had aligned for me to come back,” she says. “To witness the team atmosphere currently – it’s been fantastic. The culture they’ve created [under new coach Shane Deitz] is better than before and it’s working for the players.”The past is in the past; it’s about moving forward. Things are on the right path. Players are comfortable and can speak up. It [team atmosphere] is a lot better.”
****
Six months after announcing her retirement (in August 2022), Dottin, one of the top overseas picks at the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL), received another jolt.After being signed by Gujarat Giants for INR 60 lakh, but was withdrawn from the squad days before the start because she was “recovering from a medical situation”. She disputed this publicly at the time.At the subsequent auction in December 2023, Dottin, among only two players placed in the highest salary bracket of INR 50 lakh, was expected to attract a lot of bidders. But she didn’t find any takers. This added to the bitterness surrounding her exit from the first season, which she called “mysterious”.
“I tend to not dwell on things. I just push it away and forget about it. It’s about trying to move forward, there’s no point dwelling on the past”Deandra Dottin
But, looking back, Dottin is at peace. And that’s down to “self-reflection”, which comes up a fair few times during our chat.”I tend to not dwell on things,” she says. “I just push it away and forget about it. It’s about trying to move forward, there’s no point dwelling on the past. The one thing I know is, I’m always going to be the World Boss. Wherever I play, every time I step out on to the field, I will give it 1000%, just be competitive like I’ve aways been.”Does this mean she’ll give the WPL auction a go again?”I definitely won’t hesitate to [sign up]. Trust me.”
****
February 13, 2023. The day Dottin was picked at the inaugural WPL auction was an important day for other reasons. After six months of “self-introspection” and “spending time alone”, Dottin moved to Scarborough in Canada. She has made it her home.”Basically, because of my sexuality,” Dottin says of her decision to move. “[For] not being judged as well as I can be more open and comfortable in a country where they embrace and accept it.”The revelation reflects the person Dottin is: a straight-shooter, who says it like it is.In Canada, Dottin not just rediscovered herself, but also her verve for cricket, which has now culminated in her comeback. Away from the limelight, recreational cricket over the weekend with people who didn’t know her helped rekindle something.Deandra Dottin has been one of the stars of the short-format game•Cricket Australia via Getty Images”Every weekend, I’d go to the park nearby where a lot of older guys used to play recreationally,” Dottin says. “I’d join them and play for fun. They used to play for a club team called Toronto Strikers.”I became a part of that team. It wasn’t an everyday thing, just a patch of cricket once a week. But it made me feel better and better. It gave me the opportunity to see if I was ready to go back.”During her time away from the international game, Dottin was also overwhelmed with the support she received from the cricket community. Hayley Matthews, her close friend, reached out, as did a number of international stars on Instagram.Recently, India allrounder Shikha Pandey chose “the return of World Boss” as one of her top picks when asked about what she was looking forward to at the Women’s CPL.Did the demands of competitive sport get to her? There’s Meg Lanning’s example, of how she stepped away from cricket to soak in a bit more of life, away from the limelight.”Sometimes having a break is really good,” Dottin says. “There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. It’s about finding someone you can trust. It helps clear a lot of things. Moving away [to Canada], the enjoyment of playing again, soaking in a new life, things changing in West Indies – it all came together.”And, she adds, unprompted, “I’ll be honest, though. I don’t think anything – the hunger, drive, competitiveness – nothing has changed since I’ve last been here.”I’m still going to be World Boss and I’ll continue to be.”
