Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), stated on Friday that the organization is steadfastly committed to expanding the number of domestic multi-day games and Test matches for women.
Saikia praised the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian women’s team for defeating a strong Australian team in a record-breaking chase to win the Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final and expressed confidence that the number of supporters wearing the India Blues with the words “Mandhana” and “Harmanpreet” printed on the back would only increase dramatically.
Saikia sounded upbeat when asked if the BCCI would review the women’s schedule while planning the upcoming FTPs and hold more red ball games.
“Basically, women are playing more white ball cricket– T20Is and ODIs. India re-started playing multi-days (Test) cricket with Australia, New Zealand, England also. When Jay Shah was the secretary of BCCI, he took special initiative to promote women’s Test cricket. So we now are playing Test matches,” a PTI report quoted Saikia as saying.
“At the senior level, we must have more multi-days’ tournament, that is one area where we have to work out. All our domestic tournaments are mainly either T20 or 50 overs matches. Maybe we will have to introduce some tournaments having multi-days competition just like the Ranji Trophy for the men.”
The Indian team has been playing home and away one-off Test series for the past few years, followed by three or five-match white ball series. Saikia thinks it’s time to add more Test matches to bilateral series.
“Already we are playing Test matches against England and Australia but we must find a way to include multi-day matches in all bilateral series.”
According to Saikia, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has changed people’s perceptions of the game.
“When WPL was introduced in a very professional manner with lot of sponsorship, lot of viewership, television, digital platforms, there was a paradigm shift in the women’s cricket in India,” he said.
“WPL has taken Indian women’s game to a certain level, the way India team is performing, the confidence level, their body language, their attitude, that has transformed in last 3-4 years. Now if we win this trophy, it can definitely have the same impact of 1983.
“Already women’s cricket has made a mark but this will further take them to a higher position. So I am very positive and confident that something big is going to happen on Sunday, 2nd November.”
Saikia was particularly moved by the crowded DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, which is a sign of how popular women’s sports have become and this victory over Australia might be a game-changer.
“I think, will be a game changer in the coming days, the way the Indian fans are following this match and the way they are cheering up the team, It was a packed stadium in D Y Patil, which was not very common earlier. It has given a lot of volume to the future success of Indian women’s cricket.”
