It is fair administrators look at T20s to popularise women’s cricket, feels Mithali Raj
Mithali Raj has stated that although he would’ve liked to play more Test matches, she understands the reason why the administrators look at the limited-over matches to popularise women’s cricket. Mithali has once again thrown her support behind the Women’s IPL to unearth new talents.
With the COVID-19 situation in India pushing the board to the limit and even forcing them to go abroad for the IPL this year, it is fundamental that women's cricket has been pushed to the backburner for the time being. Which is sad considering the number of audiences the women’s T20 World Cup final attracted just before the pandemic struck. Mithali Raj understands the change in dynamics due to COVID-19 but remains hopeful of things changing for good in the near future.
“Honestly, we cannot build on it now. There were no sports activities after the World Cup as things were shut down due to Covid-19. Now, if the sport has to happen there are a lot of things that need to be done to follow precautions, regulations etc. For example, for the Test series in England, the players had gone there much ahead of the schedule (two weeks or so) for quarantine etc,” Mithali told Times of India.
“Also spectators may not be allowed for games, so then we are pretty much back to those days of playing in empty stadiums. But the positive is that if we can get to televise all matches, there will be some following. In fact, all of us need some respite and getting to see live matches will be helpful. Sport is something that people will look forward to watching on television even during the pandemic.”
The boards currently are more focused on organising T20 and ODI matches for the women’s teams to attract audiences to the venue, which resulted in Tests being pushed to the backburner. Apart from odd women’s Ashes Test matches, there have been limited allowance to the cricketing activities for women in the red-ball format. That has created a furore among many but Mithali looks at the situation from a more understanding lens.
“I have a two-dimensional way of looking at it. As a player, clearly, that is a very challenging format and any player will vouch for it. It is very unfortunate that I couldn't play more Test matches (10 only in 21 years) because even in today's time no matter where you are, people often ask how many Tests you have played. That's the value of Test cricket but unfortunately Test matches haven't happened much for us. It definitely challenges every player and I would have liked to see where I stand by playing more games.
“In terms of administrators, who are trying hard to promote the game globally, I would rather invest in a T20 or a One-day game as promotion is important to get people to watch the games and inspire girls to take up the sport. Hence, as an administrator, it wouldn't be wise for me to put money on women's Test cricket but as a player I would definitely love to play more Tests. But that is reality and we have to live with it.”
The Women’s IPL has remained a conscious decision for a long time now and even though the BCCI are hosting exhibition matches, that has not really transpired to reality on paper as far a full-fledged league is concerned. Mithali stated that the time is ripe and the BCCI should act on it as soon as possible in order to unearth many new talents.
“I look at women's IPL as another platform for players who have failed to catch the eye or live up to the expectations of the selectors. If they get picked by the franchisee, the players can have another go at things. Shefali Varma is the best example. She didn't really have a big domestic season as such but the way she played in the Challengers' Trophy caught the eye of everybody. If the Challengers didn't happen then maybe Shefali wouldn't have been known. So someone who is struggling with form will get a chance to come back stronger. But considering the present situation, we may need a few more years for women's IPL,” she concluded.
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