THE MIGHTY BOOSH – Maia Bouchier reflects on missing out on the World Cup

England and Hampshire cricketer Maia Bouchier will be watching from afar as England prepare to face South Africa in the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final. Bouchier, speaking to Alice Jackson, reflected on a season of highs and lows, personal development, and the rapidly evolving landscape of women’s cricket.  

Maia Bouchier will be watching from home with mixed feelings when her teammates step out with England to face South Africa at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati next Wednesday. For certain, she’ll be proud that the tournament has brought the dizzying developments in women’s cricket to the world stage; excited for the prospects of her country as they gun for a place in the final; but also disappointed to be missing out on the action. 

It’s been a season of mixed results for the twenty-six-year-old right-hander, who was not named in Charlotte Edward’s 15-strong squad to represent England Women in India. 

She said: “It was hard hitting at the time just getting that call, and in the back of my mind, I kind of already expected it.

“I hadn’t really had the scores that I’d hoped to have, and I knew that other people had been doing really well.

“Being there at the end was my goal, and to try and lengthen my innings as much as possible. But when that feeling is in your head, it’s quite hard to get rid of it when you’re playing.” 

Following England’s humiliating Ashes defeat at the start of the year (a shadow that was cast over England in Wednesday’s rematch), Bouchier stepped back to reflect – with a maturity beyond her years. 

In March, she returned refreshed and motivated to take the new season head-on, ahead of the inaugural Metro Bank Cup, with Georgia Adams at the Hampshire helm. 

Bouchier said: “World Cups, Ashes series, they come round very quickly. As a professional athlete, you just have to get on with it. 

“I spoke to a lot of people and had loads of support from my teammates, coaches, and family. 

“I worked hard in that short period before the Hampshire season started, and then felt pretty good with my process and consistency.

“The season was up and down, but I still scored quite a lot of runs without even realising it.” 

It’s understandable why the Hampshire 2025 Batter of the Year might have felt dissatisfied with this season’s results, considering her sparkling form of the last two years.

One of England’s most promising batters

In 2023, she cemented her reputation as one of England’s most promising batters, amassing 518 runs for Southern Vipers. She also debuted in international ODI cricket for England, with a best score of 95 against Sri Lanka. At the end of the year, she was awarded her first ECB central contract. 

Last year, she produced a scintillating 91 off 56 balls against New Zealand in a T20I – the highest score by a visiting woman in that format in New Zealand – before following up with her maiden professional century in an ODI that sealed the series for England.

So when the ‘Mighty Boosh’ was dismissed for 13 early in the Hundred final in August of this year, it was a skewed representation of her talent with the bat. That high-stakes showdown, in which Hampshire lost to Northern Superchargers, was one of two frustrating finals where Bouchier and her team fell short of victory.

She produced a fine top-order performance in the Metro Bank Women’s One Day Cup Final in September, scoring 66 in a competitive total of 288-6. But her efforts were in vain as Lancashire Women were driven to success by a dominant 141 from Gaby Lewis. 

Bouchier, who amassed 539 runs and a highest score of 93 not out in that tournament, said: “It’s an individual team sport. I go into games and think what can I do as an individual and in my role? 

“In finals, you can’t really control what happens if you’re not part of it. So it’s very frustrating having to watch it and not feel like you can make much of an impact, and sometimes those feelings can actually create mistakes.

“I didn’t pick a catch, and it was just how I was feeling about the whole game. That kind of pinpoints how you feel in those moments where you think everything is lost.” 

Ready to fight for her place

Next year promises to be an exciting chapter for international competition, and Bouchier has her sights set on breaking back into the England batting order. Either side of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Nat Sciver-Brunt will lead her side in series against New Zealand, India and Ireland. 

The ECB will also welcome investment from Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners into The Hundred. 

But throughout the build up, Bouchier will be keeping a level head.

She said: “I think day by day, if I can just do what I’ve been doing and work really hard, I can look at the next series and know what’s coming up. 

“That’s something I’ve worked on, trying to be really present. First is Hampshire, then there’s the England series, and then there’s the T20 World Cup. 

“The World Cup is definitely a goal of mine. Just putting in the work over the winter, we’ve got loads of camps which is exciting.”

Improving equality

With the flow of funding into the domestic game gathering momentum, salaries for female players on the rise, and strengthening commercial partnerships, 2026 promises to be a watershed moment in the future of inclusive cricket. 

The overall prize money for this year’s World Cup totals $13.88 million – a rise of a massive 297% from the $3.5 million total from the last edition held in New Zealand in 2022.  

Bouchier, who is President of the charity Bowl Out Racism and an ambassador for LGBTQ+ athletes, stressed the importance of image visibility in women’s sport. She explained that while there is still room for growth, recent developments are promising. 

She said: “I feel like the domestic game has a long way to go, but this is just the start of it. It treats us as equals. 

“Cricket should just be cricket, and not women’s cricket. 

“There’s no inequality, it’s just ‘I want to go and play cricket, and if I’m good enough, I can go and play in the boys team.’ It’s quite an emotional feeling. I wish I had that when I was their age.

“The restructuring has done a really good job in trying to encourage people to come and watch. The Indian money coming in is going to hopefully boost sponsors, increase awareness, increase the crowd.” 

The future

Looking ahead, the two-time Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Charlotte Edwards Cup winner is determined to leave her mark in every aspect  of the game. 

“There’s stuff around fielding that I want to improve, and staying really fit – because it’s only going to help me.

“I want to be able to show off, and do it on the world stage. 

“I love being able to play, and to do that consistently is the most important thing.”

Catch the ICC Cricket World Cup action in India here.

View the 2026 England schedule here.