India’s leap to the future in women’s cricket begins with T20 rubber against England | Cricket News
On paper, 2023 has been a big year for women’s cricket in India. The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchise tournament was held, and professional contracts handed out to several up-and-coming players. The BCCI also announced its first move towards pay parity, bringing match fees paid to women at par with what the men get.It was also a year when India went 11 months – during which they played a T20 World Cup, a home series against Australia, and an away series against Bangladesh – without a head coach. India’s 2023 schedule includes 18 matches in bilateral series – one more than England’s assignments, but fewer than Australia (25), South Africa (25), and New Zealand (20), the four teams alongside them in the top 5 of international rankings. They are playing even fewer international matches than they themselves did last year (23).
Despite attaining parity in match fees, Indian women have played only a fraction of the number of matches the men’s team (47) has, and the value of their annual retainer contracts remains substantially lower than their male counterparts.
A look at the fixtures of #TeamIndia against Australia and England for home season 2023-24 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/p7R2W5a2E0
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) October 27, 2023
Despite evidently taking a few steps forward, some questions remain unanswered about the BCCI’s commitment to women’s cricket as they go into a big home season – three T20Is and a Test against England, and three T20Is, three ODIs and a Test against Australia – with new coach Amol Muzumdar at the helm. Eyebrows were raised when the schedules were announced, as an apparent opportunity to spread the women’s game in various parts of the country was missed hosting all 11 fixtures across two venues in Mumbai. The WPL last year, despite having franchises named after five regions of India, was also held entirely in Mumbai.
However, WV Raman, former India women’s coach, does not see the scheduling as a cause of concern, instead insing that the priority must be on playing a greater volume of top-level international cricket.
“We are not privy to the thinking behind this decision. It’s a case of circumstances, about crunching time and keeping things within the right budget for all teams concerned,” Raman told The Indian Express.
“The women’s game is already very popular. It might not seem so, perhaps because the women’s team’s schedule is not as busy as that of the men’s team. Fans want to see more women’s cricket. With big series, more international tournaments, and the WPL coming in, that (perception) will improve,” he added.
💬 💬 “We would play fearless brand of cricket.”#TeamIndia Head Coach Amol Muzumdar highlights the team’s approach heading into the #INDvENG T20I series, starting tomorrow 👌👌@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/PzbdZ9xDjU
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 5, 2023
This argument may hold weight when compared to other countries. India’s most recent away assignments in Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand were also held in either one or two venues.
“There is no need for nitpicking now. Earlier, we wanted them to organise series and host matches. Now that that has happened, let’s not raise questions about this (scheduling),” Raman said.
Way forward
Nothing breeds interest and intrigue like success on the field though, and India’s win in the inaugural U-19 Women’s World Cup has the potential to do just that. Shafali Varma, Richa Ghosh, Mannat Kashyap and Titas Sadhu from that winning side are in India’s senior squad for the upcoming series against England, the first T20I of which will be played on Wednesday.
The return of ‘A’ series cricket helps the system too. India mostly fielded a second-rung side in the recent contests while some regulars from their senior side featured for England as they tried to get used to subcontinental conditions. England took the T20 series 2-1, but India’s youngsters fought hard and caught the eye. Shreyanka Patil earned a maiden senior call-up on the back of top performances against the visitors, backing up a solid WPL campaign. Minnu Mani, who made her debut in Bangladesh and captained the ‘A’ team, is also in the squad for the upcoming T20 series.
pic.twitter.com/gZaxinpsjR
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 4, 2023
Raman believes that the changes that will come in the domestic structure, thanks to the recent developments, will allow India to develop a greater talent pool, and more players from different parts of the country will come to the surface.
“The most important factor will be the change in the domestic structure, especially at the age-group level. Competitions like the WPL, and things like the ‘A’ series, introduction of FTP (Future Tours Programme), and the start of the U-19 World Cup could play a big role.
“Age-group cricket has exed at all levels for young boys, but for young girls, there is a gap there that needs to be closed. With India putting up teams in U-19 World Cups, there will be more uniformity at the domestic level. State associations will be creating and training age-group teams, which will increase playing opportunities,” he said.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup in September next year in Bangladesh, and the 2025 ODI World Cup on home soil, with a new coach settling in, India’s journey to building a potentially tournament-winning white-ball side begins on Wednesday. It will be a period when stakeholders’ realic commitment to the game – not just through results or media rights value, but also attempting to grow the game within the country – will also be tested.
