International cricket for Indian Women’s team could resume soon, BCCI in talks with Sri Lanka and England
Apart from discussions on IPL and domestic cricket, BCCI’s AGM delved on the possible resumption of international cricket for the Indian women’s team.
According to reports, BCCI is in talks with Sri Lanka and England for bilateral series’ that could be played in March. Also, domestic competitions for women could kick-off in February.
A senior BCCI official was quoted as saying by TOI:
“BCCI will try to accommodate as many tours that couldn't happen last year.”
The report added that the Indian women's team will first feature in a domestic tournament. This will be succeeded by a series against Sri Lanka, the women's T20 Challenge during IPL, followed by a tour of England.
India's women's team are yet to play an international game since the T20 World Cup final on March 8. All the tours scheduled had to be postponed by the BCCI due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Apart from limited overs matches, talks about resuming women's Test cricket too are in the BCCI pipeline.
Former cricketers unhappy with treatment meted out to women’s cricket by BCCI
A number of former women cricketers are surprised that hardly anything has been done to get women’s cricket underway in India.
Former India skipper Anjum Chopra questioned how women’s cricket will get back on track unless they start playing. She told Hindustan Times:
“I can understand the priority is men’s cricket, but now what? Is it a matter of convenience? How is Harmanpreet Kaur expected to hit sixes the moment she goes to bat, if she does not get to play? And nobody is getting younger. Players want to prepare for some target. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but at the moment there is a great cloud of uncertainty.”
Another former cricketer Anju Jain lamented the lack of domestic cricket, stating players will “lose their focus and match-practice”.
India’s ODI captain Mithali Raj though was confident of things getting better for women’s cricket sooner rather than later. She was quoted as telling HT:
“I am confident domestic cricket for us will start soon, and I also hear we will get enough preparatory tours for the ODI World Cup.”
Indian women’s team will be feature in the ODI World Cup in 2022 while the T20 World Cup is scheduled for February 2023.