CHENNAI: When the India squad for Commonwealth Games was announced, as was the case with the previous squad announcements, there were quite a few surprises and shuffling with very little reasoning in the BCCI press release. The last time when asked about why Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey were not picked for the Sri Lanka tour, head coach Ramesh Powar said that the selectors and the cricketing body would have to provide an update.
However, as the Indian team get ready to leave for their maiden appearance in the Commonwealth Games, Powar said that the team management, including the captain and the coach, along with the selectors picked the squad for the marquee event. “We are happy about this squad because we were part of the discussion and took a call collectively," said Powar in the pre-departure press conference on Saturday.
From the squad that toured Sri Lanka, Richa Ghosh, Simran Bahadur and Poonam Yadav were drafted as reserves while Harleen Deol and Taniya Bhatia made it to the 15 along with Sneh Rana, who was earlier "rested".
Powar said that they have picked a young team based on the conditions and the performances would send a message to the domestic circuit as to what the team management is expecting.
"We are excited that the job will be done by this bunch of players. You will see young players moving around quickly and that will send a message to our domestic players also," said the former India spinner, adding that all players are fit and available and if there were any issues, the BCCI medical team would update.
As for the tournament, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said that every game would be crucial for them. "This tournament is very important for us. This time we are playing for a medal. If I speak about myself, we have grown up watching these kinds of tournaments and we are glad that we are also getting an opportunity, we will be part of a big event. It is not only about cricket but other teams (disciplines) also and we will be there for them to cheer up and we want to celebrate each and every medal. This time it will be totally different and we are all very excited", Kaur said.
She felt that taking part in such multi-nation, multi-event competitions would only do more good for the women's sport. "Yes, as a cricketer, we always want to play more cricket and this year we are getting to participate in a multi-sport event. So, when you go to a big event, it is important to perform well. The more we get such tournaments, it is good for women's cricket."
While India does not have a set target in mind, she said they would want to assess the conditions once they get to Edgbaston while trying to play an aggressive brand of cricket. "If you talk about our team, we always love to play positive cricket and that is what we have been doing for a long time and the approach will be the same."