The former BCCI general manager for cricket operations Saba Karim believes that the need for a separate plan for women rather than merging with men for the growth of women’s cricket in India.
Indian women’s cricket has come a long way in recent years and has got recognition from fans. India Women reached the ICC Cricket World Cup 2017, after which they garnered the attention of the cricket world and made administration take notice of them. They also made it to the semifinals of the 2018 Women’s World T20 and went one step further in the 2020 World T20 by playing the final in front of a record MCG crowd.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has taken a few steps to promote women’s cricket including the hosting of Women’s T20 Challenge in recent years. Earlier in March, the board announced that the women’s team will play a Test in England and later confirmed a pink ball Test in Australia. But this or the current structure is not enough.
It is a good start, but there needs to be a solid plan, a plan different to that for the boys and men, for things to move forward and for us to build on it.
Karim said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo.
I feel the way to go forward is to make it much more professional, and growth of women’s cricket has to be different from boys’ cricket, and the planning has to be different. One has to have a different plan, a constructive plan, with lots of outreach programmes.
The former cricketer Karim also stressed the need for pathway cricket at domestic level. Something that Australia and England have and constantly benefit at International level. The tournaments at a young age help the players improve their game. The fans and experts have been demanding a full-fledged Indian Premier League for women for a while.
India Women are currently on a England tour, where they’ve already fought hard to earn a draw in the one-off Test. Although they faced a loss in the first ODI, they have time to bounce back with two more ODIs and three T20Is to go.
