In the course of the current second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 between India and England at Edgbaston, social media fans were buzzing after noticing a woman in India’s support staff attire smiling at ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah while England batted in their first innings. The incident stirred interest and gossip on social media regarding her identity and who she is in the Indian camp.
The subject of interest is Yasmin Badiani, a veteran sports professional employed with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Contrary to speculation that she could be one of the members of Indian support staff, Yasmin works for ECB’s Team Operations department and has been officially seconded to work with the Indian team during their tour of England.
What’s Her Role with Team India?
The duties of Yasmin include dealing with logistics, travel arrangements, practice timetables, and access to the venues for the Indian team. It is common for the board at home to have a liaison from their operations staff to facilitate good communication and coordination on a day-to-day basis with the visiting side.
While her appearance in India’s training kit drew attention, it’s not uncommon for operations staff to wear the visiting team’s gear as part of maintaining a professional and consistent appearance during official duties.
Yasmin Badiani’s Professional Journey
Yasmin graduated from the University of Leicester with a degree in Physiotherapy in 2010. She started in the healthcare industry with the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust before moving into sport. From 2010 until 2013, she spent time as a Sports Physiotherapist for Leicester City Football Club, working mainly with their academy sides.
Her professional journey transformed into sports business management, where she worked as Head of Sport at Phizz Ltd and Head of O.R.S Sport at Clinova. There, she closely worked with top sportspersons, marketing hydration and recovery products specifically designed for high-performance sport.
In August 2022, she became a part of the ECB’s Operations Team, where she continues to play an integral role in ensuring the smooth running of cricket tours, be it domestic or international.
Interestingly, Jasprit Bumrah also did not feature in the playing XI for the second Test as he was rested to maintain his workload. However, even that short encounter with Yasmin during the match managed to make it a point of discussion among fans.
