MacLeod has been busy finalizing the Bears Women side ahead of their debut season as a Tier 1 club in a restructured professional structure in 2025.
“It’s been an unprecedented time in the women’s game,” she said.
“Every player has been up for grabs for the new professional teams. In the off-season you might normally be looking to recruit two or three players…but we’ve been recruiting 15 alongside eight other teams with the same ambitions.
“I’m pleased with where we’ve got to.
“I hope the brand of cricket we’ll play at Edgbaston next summer will be something that will make people go ‘wow’, I want to be a part of this.”
MacLeod’s Bears Women head to Edgbaston as a collective for the first time on 4 November for the start of winter fitness training.
And a new high-performance area will await them featuring a state-of-the-art gym, training equipment and new dressing room facilities.
Former England batter MacLeod – who played almost 100 international games – said she wants her players to be brave on the field and act as role models to inspire the next generation of players.
“I don’t think I ever had a role model,” added MacLeod. “There weren’t many female cricket role models out there.
“But now there’s a real array of prominent characters in the women’s game, from different backgrounds, so girls can relate to them and see them as someone to aspire to.
“My introduction to cricket was with an under 11s boys team. But many clubs now have women and girls sections, plus there are entry points with All Stars and Dynamos cricket.
“There is now a clear progression path for girls through junior cricket, into county systems, and on to play professionally. The future is very bright for women’s cricket and there are more opportunities than ever before.”
To find out more and register your interest in Bears Women visit Bears Women 2025 - Edgbaston. 
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