Erin Holland is an unmissable name in the international cricket circle. One can say the same about her while discussing her career in the beauty industry. From aspiring to be on Broadway as a child to finding her passion for cricket and sports, Erin has done it all.
The former Miss Australia went on to become a TV presenter and found her niche in cricket broadcasting. “I enjoyed working as a presenter, particularly in broadcast, because no two days are the same; unlike in musicals, where it is the same show everyday,” she says over a Zoom call from Canberra, Australia.
With her sights set on singing and dancing, young Erin left for Sydney to pursue that dream. What followed was Miss Australia and ambassador for International Beauty with a Purpose Charity titles; she also met beau Ben Cutting, and a career in cricket that was not part of her plan happened. “It was a roundabout journey. I grew up watching a lot of cricket with my dad and my little brother, so it was a natural progression,” she adds.
Being a well-known presenter in men’s cricket, Erin says she has never felt alienated in the male-dominated sport. She credits this to her fiancée and Australian cricketer, Ben Cutting, whose career as an all- rounder in men’s cricket gave her a chance to establish friendly relationships with international players. “I loved working for the girls as well. I hosted the tri-series between India, Australia and England in January and February [2020]. Getting to know the girls from the Indian team was great. There are some real personalities there,” says Erin.
With strict social-distancing rules and bio-bubble protocols, cricket has made a comeback to entertain thousands of fans across the world. Presenting at the ongoing India tour of Australia, Erin shares her experience of the love fans have for the sport. “I can’t help but wonder if I am in Sydney or at the Wankhede. It is unbelievable,” she says about the crowd that turned up at the stadium to watch the matches.
While the players are kept in bio-bubbles, the crew and other supporting staff take various measures to ensure safety at the matches. “I am used to interacting with the players in close proximity and things like body language and familiarity can make for a good interview. So, learning how to engage with someone while maintaining social distancing has been a challenge, something that I had to work on this year,” she says.
The lockdown put life on pause for many months before the world returned to some normalcy. During the initial few months, Erin took cognisance of her mental and physical health. “For someone who is a self-confessed workaholic, I struggled to not have anything going on. I found that looking after my mental health was as important as exercise, meditation and finding ways to keep myself busy,” she signs off.
Watch the on-going Border-Gavaskar Test Series between India and Australia on Sony Six (Tamil & Telugu), Sony Ten 3 (Hindi) and Sony Ten 1 (English) channels.
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