WPL 2024: How a Personal Tragedy Led Danni Wyatt To Finding Her True Self

For the first 7 years of her career, Danni Wyatt lived for others. Now, she lives for herself. Here's what changed.

Prior to speaking with The Quint, English cricketer Danni Wyatt was unfamiliar with the concept of 'Memento Mori.' Except, seven years ago, the trope a crucial role in her quest for renaissance. 

Translating literally to ‘remember, you must die,’ ‘Memento Mori’ has been used, for eras and ages, as an aide-memoire of the inevitability of death. Not in a sense that ‘Alas! It is so sad that we will all die,’ but rather, ‘We will all die, so let’s make the most of every day that we are alive.’ Instead of a sombre reminder of mortality, a cheerful call for Carpe Diem. A call to break the shackles.

Wyatt broke the shackles in 2017. For the first seven years of her international career, she played and lived for her team. At best, she was the conglomeration of a handy and a utilitarian pinch-hitter. At worst, she was neither here nor there.

But when a personal tragedy struck – the demise of her grandfather – Wyatt decided to play, and live, for herself. She has not had to look back ever since.

Ahead of the 2024 Women’s Premier League (WPL) season, where she will play for UP Warriorz, the 32-year-old batter opened up on what led to the unveiling of Danni Wyatt 2.0, among other things.

Here are the excerpts:

Fourteen years ago, you arrived in India to play your first match for England. Looking back at the journey, would you consider your chapter in cricket to be a successful one?

These fourteen years have flown by pretty quickly. The journey has been full of ups and downs, like everyone else's, but I feel there’s a lot more in the tank. I have a lot more to achieve. I would definitely want to score more runs. I also love travelling all over the world for franchise leagues, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity with UP Warriorz.

You played a match-winning knock on your debut, but it took you nine years to score your first ODI century. What kept you going?

My career has been a tale of two halves. I started out as a bowler, and was regarded as a pinch-hitter. It annoyed me deep down, but at that age, I just wanted to do what was best for the team. As long as I was in the playing XI, I didn’t care.

There was a turning point in the 2017 Ashes series. I didn’t play in the Tests and ODIs, so I had plenty of time to think about what I needed to do. I had a kind of selfish realisation, that now I need to do what works best for me. In the first T20I in Sydney, we were 20/4 when I came to bat and I scored my first T20I fifty. I got promoted to open in the second match, and then in the third match, I scored my first T20I century. That was the start of the second half of my career – that is – Danni Wyatt the batter.

It was such a relief to show the world that I could do much more than just get a flashy 20 off 15 balls. I always knew that I was better than that. It was just a matter of believing in myself, and having the belief of coaches that I can play long innings and get big scores. Long may it continue.

You have been a completely different player after the demise of your grandfather in 2017. Is that event related to the unveiling of Danni Wyatt 2.0?

Yes, it is. My granddad died just before the Ashes. I had to fly to Australia only two days after his funeral. I was very close to him and it was the first big loss of my life. When he died, a thought hit me, that gosh, life is too short. Something clicked in my head, I knew it was time for a change.

I got into this I-don’t-care attitude. Of course, I do care, but now, I do what is best for me. When I got that hundred against Australia, I looked up to the sky. It was for my grandfather.

Despite doing well in international cricket, you didn’t get a WPL bid last season. It must have been disgruntling, how did you cope with it?

It was heartbreaking not to get a bid, especially after getting my hopes high. I thought I would get at least one bid, but I didn’t. That was a real kick in the face. After that, I decided to just go about enjoying my life. There’s a lot more to life than cricket. And though the WPL is amazing, a lot of other competitions were also going around in the world. I enjoyed my cricket in The Hundred, I also did well domestically and for England.

Off the pitch, I recently got engaged. We have a wedding planned for August. So, there have been a lot of good things in my life.

For this year’s auction, I had a different mindset. I told myself that if I do get picked up that’s great, but if I don’t, that’s fine. It was nice that UP Warriorz bid for me.

How have you been settling in at the UP Warriorz camp?

It has been great to meet all the girls. Obviously, I know Deepti (Sharma), Raja (Rajeshwari Gayakwad) and Sophie (Ecclestone) from before. I also know the coach Jon (Lewis) very well.

Here at the camp, I have been getting along well with Kiran (Navgire), Shweta (Sehrawat), Yashi (Soppadhandi Yashasri), and Sammy (Saima Thakor). The girls have been so welcoming, It has been really good to train with them and share a good laugh.