Jodie Purves (Fields)

Jodie Purves — who played as Jodie Fields — is one of the most accomplished captains in Australian cricket history: the first Queensland woman to captain Australia, and the leader who lifted two world titles in six months — the 2012 World T20 and the 2013 World Cup. She captained her country in 58 matches, the equal second-most ever, before retiring in 2014 with Australia ranked number one in both white-ball formats.

After growing up playing men’s cricket at school, Jodie debuted for the Queensland Fire at 16 and went on to captain the side for six years. Her international debut came in 2006, and by 2009 she was appointed captain of Australia. In her first Test as captain, against England, she made a captain’s knock of 139 — a maiden Test century built from 5 for 28.

Her career survived what might have ended others’: a hamstring torn from the bone, three operations and 18 months of rehabilitation — two years later she was lifting a World Cup. Following her international retirement she continued with the Queensland Fire, the Brisbane Heat in the WBBL’s first season, and the ACT Meteors, before turning her experience to leadership and advocacy in the corporate world.

Jodie was a leading voice in the landmark 2017 agreement that brought Australian men’s and women’s cricket into a single pay deal for the first time, having served on the Australian Cricketers’ Association Women’s Executive Committee. Her commitment to the next generation is practical: the Jodie Fields Young Cricketer Development Scholarship, launched in 2014 with UQ Business School, Kookaburra Sport and Queensland Cricket, supports the development of young female cricketers.