Women's Cricket Left in the Lurch as BCCI Shifts Focus on IPL 2020 in UAE

With the BCCI concentrating whole-heartedly on the IPL, the women’s game has no selectors, no international tour, no league and no idea about the domestic season right now, the Mumbai Mirror reported.

The Hemlata Kala-led selection committee --which also had Anjali Pendharker, Sudha Shah, Lopamudra Bhattacharji and Shashi Gupta – has already completed its tenure.

The BCCI had put out an advertisement for the appointment of a new panel along with the men’s senior and junior selectors in January. The BCCI were swift in hiring people for the men’s panels but no appointments were made for the women's panel.

Former India spinner Nooshin Al Khadeer said that although she is concerned about the state of affairs, one has to look at the larger picture.

“In a way it’s good that we don’t have a selection panel,” said India’s third-highest women’s ODI wicket-taker,” told Mumbai Mirror.

“With no cricket happening, the selectors would have spent at least six months of their tenure with no work. As far as resumption of cricket is concerned one has to look at the safety of the players first.

“Right now we have to be realistic. One should also keep in mind that the BCCI itself is in a bit of a tough situation with both president and secretary on a tough wicket with regards to their tenure.”

The Indian women’s team recently withdrew from their tour of England where they supposed to be part of a tri-nation series with the hosts and South Africa. The reasons cited were logistical reasons such as arranging camps and international travel restrictions.

While the BCCI prepares for the IPL in UAE and a national camp in Gujarat ahead of the Australia tour, there is no word on the Women’s T20 Challenge that was supposed to be a seven-match affair with four teams in the final week of the IPL.