Alison Mitchell breaks cricket gender barrier on free-to-air TV in Australia

Alison Mitchell will become the first woman in 35 years to commentate on free-to-air cricket TV coverage in Australia after signing with Channel Seven.

The channel will be “Australia’s new home of cricket” and will broadcast live coverage of Test matches and the Twenty20 Big Bash League during the summer down under.

Mitchell, who has worked with the BBC, BT Sport and Channel 5 in the UK, joins Tim Lane and James Brayshaw as the Australian network’s three ball-by-ball commentators. Other “new signings” include Jason Gillespie, Simon Katich, Lisa Sthalekar, Brad Hodge, Greg Blewett and Dirk Nannes.

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Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Damien Fleming and Michael Slater are Seven’s big-name pundits for its cricket coverage.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Kate Fitzpatrick was the last female to commentate on free-to-air men’s Test cricket, back in 1983-84 for Channel Nine.

David Barham, Channel Seven’s head of cricket, says Mitchell’s appointment has nothing to do with gender, but her experience behind the microphone.

He told the Australian Associated Press: “She’s a gun commentator. 1983 was the last time there was a female voice in Test cricket in Australia on free-to-air TV, 35 years ago. It doesn’t seem right to me.

“It’s appropriate and long overdue, with cricket being a sport that has done so much for women. But she’s not picked because she’s a woman. She’s picked because she is very good at her job. To me she is in the best two or three, that’s what you want.”

On her appointment, Mitchell tweeted that she was “so pleased to be joining a brilliant team”.

Channel Seven’s cricket coverage starts with a women’s Twenty20 (T20) match between Australia and New Zealand on 29 September.

Australia’s men will play South Africa in a limited-overs series in November, followed by Test, one-day and T20 matches against India in November and December.

Sri Lanka then travel to Australia for a Test series from January to February 2019.