BCCI and the curious case of women’s T20s
It is commendable on the part of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to announce a three-team women’s T20 series in the UAE from November 4-9. The domestic sports calendar is uncertain due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And although the men’s team will travel to Australia for a series of Tests, ODIs and T20s after the Indian Premier League (IPL), there is no news of any bilateral series featuring the women’s team. Under the circumstances, four matches featuring Indian and foreign players during the IPL to be shown on prime time TV is a big boost for women’s cricket. That is why this initiative is praiseworthy.
But announcing the fixtures is one part of it and making sure that everything else happens properly is another. There are reasons to think that the BCCI is doing this more in haste than in the best interest of women’s cricket. There was no selection committee to pick the teams when the series was announced. Suddenly, a selection committee was formed without following the steps made mandatory by the Supreme Court. With the IPL in full flow and fans busy applauding sixes, this quickly slipped out of public memory. Also, there will be around 25-30 Indian players in three teams. They were not in touch with bat and ball for a long time. Some of them have resumed practising, some have not. For an event of this level, there should be a conditioning camp for players under the supervision of coaches and other members of the support staff. With less than a month to go, the BCCI is still quiet on this.
This is not to suggest that the BCCI under Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah is not doing enough for women’s cricket. Like having the IPL in the UAE against all odds, slotting the Women’s Challenger during it is a laudable effort. Events of such nature can go a long way in enhancing the reputation of women’s cricket, which does not have a great following in India yet. But it also has to take all necessary steps to ensure proper conduct. Only then will it be remembered as a noble initiative and not a marketing gimmick.