BCCI announce women's red-ball tournament in Pune from March 29
Published - 01 Mar 2024, 04:17 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:27 AM
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the reintroduction of women’s red-ball cricket to India’s domestic calendar after a six-year hiatus. The BCCI is scheduled to conduct the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal Multi-Day Trophy, starting on March 28 in Pune.
The board is set to reintroduce domestic red-ball cricket following India’s victories in one-off Tests against England and Australia in December 2023. Women’s domestic red-ball cricket was last played in 2018, indicating a significant absence of such tournaments.
Senior Women’s Inter Zonal Multi-Day Trophy To Kick Off On March 28
The highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to commence just over ten days after the Women’s Premier League (WPL) final. Teams from six zones will compete in five matches, with each zone represented by East, West, North, South, Central, and North East.
The tournament will commence with clashes between the East Zone and North East Zone, as well as the West Zone and Central Zone. North Zone and South Zone have already secured spots in the semi-finals and will face the winners of the initial matches, from April 3.
The final match of the tournament is scheduled for April 9. Each fixture will span three days and be hosted by the Maharashtra Cricket Association. The upcoming three-day matches will be a crucial test for both the prominent female cricketers and the cricket board.
In recent times, there have been calls for more women’s Test matches to be held, with only Australia, England, India, and South Africa participating in such matches regularly. This format of the game is challenging for the Indian team, as they have little experience with it.
It Is A Welcome Step Taken By BCCI – Amita Sharma
Former Indian pacer Amita Sharma welcomed the BCCI’s decision to reintroduce red-ball cricket at the domestic level, emphasizing its importance for nurturing the next generation of cricketers.
“It is a welcome step taken by BCCI. The national team has started playing Test cricket again and we need the next generation of cricketers to play red-ball cricket at the domestic level,” Amita Sharma said.
“I would also want the red ball to be played at the state level and not just the zonal level. Back in the day, we had both those events,” she added.
We May See A New Domestic Tournament – Smriti Mandhana
Before the Test match against England in December, Smriti Mandhana had expressed optimism about the re-establishment of the women’s domestic red-ball event. She emphasized the importance of aligning the domestic structure with the international landscape.
“[Our] bodies are not used to playing four back-to-back days of cricket because we generally play T20s and ODIs which have gaps. More than the physical part, being there [on the field] for four days mentally, trying to focus on each ball [is important],” Mandhana had said.
“As the number of Tests increases, we may see a new domestic tournament for long-form cricket. Domestic structure is always according to international demands.”
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Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) India Women National Cricket Team
