" Crazy price tag caused me to have expectations to live up to," said Ash Gardner.

Allrounder on how boom in women's cricket is n't just a game-changer, but life-changing

It was the Skype that changed Ashleigh Gardner's career. She had just finished a T20 World Cup training program in Gqeberha and was on a video phone with her mother as the requests for her significant began to pour in for her lot. The statistics went up and up, gradually hitting INR 3. 2 billion.

Her brother brought his phone into shot showing the calculator app, confirming that this was life-changing money: A$ 558,000 for three weeks ' work, which ended up being the joint second-highest contract at the WPL. It marked a total transformation in women's cricket since Gardner signed her first state contract, worth A$ 3,000, as a teenager.

Since the beginning of the IPL in 2008, female bowlers have to deal with the stress of a price tag. But when Gardner looked around the dressing place, she realised that this was a new experience in the women's sport:" It was entirely ridiculous," she tells ESPNcricinfo. I always imagined it may happen to me throughout my career, he said. "

It reflected the explosion of curiosity and investment in children's cricket over the last decade. " Persons are buying into what the children's game is, showcasing ladies in game," Gardner says. " Hopefully cricket is leading the way: I'm certain cricket and football are very close but to be involved in the children's game at the moment, and the development from 10 years ago to today, it's been great. "

Yet by her own admission, Gardner has struggled with her status as Gujarat Giants ' highest earner. Her record across the WPL's first two editions has been solid enough but unspectacular- two half-centuries and a strike rate of 128. 57 across 16 batting innings, plus 17 wickets with her offbreaks- and the franchise have finished bottom in both seasons.

Gardner says the ridiculous price tag "undoubtedly caused me to have expectations to live up to." " It was strange because I had no bearing whatsoever with the price tag I was given." It was like, OK, there's this expectation- but it's probably a perceived pressure thing that I'm putting on myself, which I have no control over.

" I probably have n't played to the best of my ability, which has been really disappointing … It was certainly life-changing, do n't get me wrong. But I probably try to avoid identifying with that in my own life. It's a number, at the end of the day. I believe that's more important than anything else if I can continue to perform and give my best for the team. "

Gardner is speaking while wearing Trent Rockets ' yellow training kit: she is playing in the Hundred for the first time, and was their top pick at the draft earlier this year. Her contract is worth £50,000, or roughly one-sixth of her WPL salary, but it accounts for a 60 % increase over the previous years, which was sufficient to draw the best Australian players into the competition.

The tournament fits well into their schedule this year. Australia have not played a game in the four months since they toured Bangladesh, so the Hundred represents the start of several players ' T20 World Cup build-up, with the tournament starting in October. " It's probably the quietest off-season we've had in a little while," Gardner says.

But part of the attraction was the opportunity to play at some of England's best venues, in front of strong crowds: last weekend, the total attendance at the women's Hundred across four seasons went past one million. For Gardner, being signed by the Rockets also meant a return to Trent Bridge, where she took a match-winning eight-wicket haul in last summer's Ashes Test.

Over the past few seasons, what we've seen is how well-known it has been. We're jealous of the crowds they get in Australia, I'm sure of it. It just shows where women's cricket is at the moment in this country: it's going in leaps and bounds in the right direction, and it's awesome to see fans turn out. I have n't played at Headingley or in Manchester before, so that is super exciting. "

Gardner believes that Australian cricket- which sees the WBBL played in a standalone window at the start of the summer- could learn from the Hundred. " When the WBBL was in its infancy, we used to play some double-headers, which I really love. It's a one-club mentality, when you get to play before the men. Obviously here, they do it so well.

" I can potentially see it changing again in Australia: in terms of crowds and being able to get the fans involved, it probably will end up going towards that. Some people are strongly opinionated on that not happening, so the women have free reign in that space of the year. But I think in terms of growing the brand, the men do a fantastic job and hopefully we can leverage that. "

Gardner has played for Sydney Sixers since the WBBL's inception, but has only represented them at their official'home' ground- the SCG- once since 2018. The WBBL has trimmed its fixture list this year, from 56 regular-season games to 40, and will stage more matches at major stadiums after using smaller venues in recent seasons.

It's obviously disappointing to not be able to play at a venue like the SCG, Gardner says. It was very sad to miss being able to use that location. But going to a few more big venues this year, and cutting down the games as well … hopefully, that brings out the best cricket, because players know that they'll have four less games to compete in. "

More immediately, Gardner's focus is on helping the Rockets recover from a slow start and reach the knockout stages of the Hundred. " As an international player, there's always that expectation. You're picked up for a reason, and it's about making sure I'm a good team-mate as well. Hopefully, that leads to success on the field.

" And then I guess having the World Cup in mind, which is n't that far away," I suppose. It's going to be polar opposite conditions, but if my processes stay the same, there's no reason why I ca n't be successful- both for myself, and for my team going into that World Cup for Australia. "