Supporting the next generation of talent

Maiden Rising STAR

Club: Whalley Range

County: Lancashire

Location: Lancashire

Number Of Years Playing Cricket: 3

Team position/Preferred position: Off-Spin Bowler

Cricket Journey: Laila might be one of the youngest in the Maiden ambassador programme, but she’s already proving herself to be a player with heart, hunger, and heaps of potential. She picked up her first bat aged just five — and hasn’t stopped swinging since. Her journey began with soft-ball matches and community cricket days, but her commitment quickly stood out. She's a fast learner, quick on her feet, and fearless at the crease.

What sets Laila apart is her willingness to try, fail, learn, and try again. She plays with joy, energy, and a sense of freedom that reminds everyone why they started playing in the first place. Her dream is simple: to keep getting better, to play with girls who lift her up, and to someday wear her country’s colours. And based on how fast she’s rising, it’s not out of reach.

Why Maiden: Laila joined Maiden because it’s the first time she felt like cricket was really for her. The colours, the cut, the confidence — it all clicked. No more wearing boys’ kit or rolling up sleeves that don’t fit. With Maiden, she feels fast, fierce, and proud to be a girl in the game.

She wears the Maiden logo with joy — because it represents everything she believes in: fun, fairness, and a future where girls get to shine just as brightly as the boys. She’s not here to be quiet. She’s here to be counted.