Sue Barker has become a perennial part of the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon, so tennis fans were shocked to tune in this morning and find a new face welcoming viewers. 

Presenter and former cricket player Isa Guha opened coverage of the tournament, and will do so every morning for the next two weeks. 

Barker will then take over in the afternoon. The 66-year-old announced earlier this month she would be stepping down as the BBC’s Wimbledon presenter, and her role this year has subsequently been reduced.

With Guha now in the spotlight, GiveMeSport Women takes a look at her excellent career so far. 

Who is Isa Guha?

Guha may be presenting from the All England Lawn Tennis Club, but her career began on the cricket pitch as a right-arm fast-medium bowler and right-handed batter.

At just 17-years-old, Guha became the first woman of South Asian origin to represent England in any sport, making her international cricket debut in 2002.

In 2005, she helped England regain the Ashes on home soil for the first time in 42 years, and played at the World Cup in the same year. 

Cricket player Isa Guha

Guha was then part of the England team which dominated women’s cricket in 2009 – winning the Ashes, the World Cup and the T20 World Cup

At the time of her retirement in 2012, Guha had earned 113 caps. She was positioned as the second highest wicket taker in the all-time England Women’s one-day international list, and the sixth highest in the world.

Cricket star Isa Guha

How did Isa Guha become a presenter?

The 37-year-old Guha has spent years perfecting her craft to land one of the top jobs in sports broadcasting.

She made her presenting debut during ITV’s Indian Premier League coverage in 2011, which led to other opportunities with the BBC and Sky Sports, and other broadcasters in India, the West Indies and the US. 

Cricket presenter Isa Guha

In 2016, Guha was a member of the inaugural Triple M radio Test cricket commentary team in Australia, and was a commentator for Sky Sports and Fox Cricket for their cricket coverage in 2018. 

Guha became the lead presenter and commentator of BBC’s cricket coverage in 2020, as the broadcaster brought live cricket back for the first time in 21 years.

She has now stepped into the world of tennis, and will also be a presenter for the BBC during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.