People doubting BCCI will have to wait before passing their judgement, feels Shantha Rangaswamy
BCCI Apex Council member Shantha Rangaswamy has stated that the situation due to Covid forced the BCCI to cancel the women’s tour of England. She has also added that people doubting the BCCI’s intentions will have to wait before things get back to normal before passing any judgement.
Absence of selection committee, no point person in the BCCI for the women’s cricket and the priority to push the case for the IPL has resulted in the BCCI cancelling the women’s team’s tour of England for the tri-series, also involving South Africa. The decision created a furore among many fans on social media, with people slamming the board for their lack of empathy towards women’s cricketers, but former Indian women’s team skipper and BCCI Apex Council member Shantha Rangaswamy stated that the cancellation is not a result of BCCI’s negligence.
"It is not a case of neglect. You need at least six weeks to be match fit and with the Covid-19 affecting most parts of the country, is it possible to organise a training camp right away? Then you would also have a 14-day quarantine in England. There was just not enough time to make it happen. Covid-19 has hurt world cricket, more so women's cricket. We have gone back a couple of years after a record attendance for the T20 World Cup final at MCG in March. It is sad and an anti-climax," Rangaswamy told PTI.
"It looks like even nature is conspiring against women's cricket. Last year, a third team was added to the IPL Women's Challenge, this year it was supposed to be four. Now the shift of venue. More importantly, it is clashing with the women's Big Bash, which was already scheduled. Let's see what the IPL Governing Council decides. Going to England was more important than IPL exhibition games. The England tour would have been ideal preparation for the World Cup," Rangaswamy said.
The ICC is yet to officially call off the 2021 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, the pending qualification programme makes it a difficult proposition in the first place. However, the supporters of the series suggested that the BCCI should have stayed a step ahead in order to keep the players engaged but Rangaswamy suggested that BCCI’s intentions shouldn’t be doubted.
"The post-COVID-19 scenario will be a testimony to their commitment to women's cricket. People doubting BCCI's intentions will have to wait for things to be normal before passing their judgement. The situation was not in their control on this occasion. The late announcement on the men's T20 World Cup postponement has also given the BCCI little time to prepare for the IPL," she said.