Australian cricketer Alyssa Healy and start of the 2020 T20 World Cup expressed disappointment at the cancellation of the Indian team’s proposed tour of England for a women’s tri-series due to logistical issues.
India was originally slated to play a bilateral series comprising three ODIs and as many T20Is against England in June which got postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. But the tour was called off earlier this week by the Indian board citing issues around travel restrictions and the assembling of training camps amid the coronavirus crisis.
Also Read: For no good reason, Indian women’s cricket is held back once again
The England and Wales Cricket Board has said it was in talks with their Indian and South African counterparts to host a tri-series in September, which will now only be bilateral series against the Proteas, who will start training.
Would be sad to see it not happen especially with the hope of a WC early next year...... https://t.co/VceZXolrOU
— Alyssa Healy (@ahealy77) July 24, 2020
As Healy said, the tour was significant ICC Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be played in New Zealand from February 6 to March 7 next year. A challenging tour of England would have helped immensely in the Indian team’s preparations for the World Cup, reckoned a few from the cricket community after the cancellation.
This is a sentiment shared by many cricket fans on Twitter, who said that the cancellation of India’s tour will set women’s cricket back in the country. India had finished as runners-up at the T20 World Cup in March, the last big tournament before cricket activities were suspended. The worry is that the momentum created by that record campaign in Australia will be lost in India.
Important issue, hope BCCI is paying heed https://t.co/2w1j02YOGo
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) July 24, 2020
Why is it harder to send the Indian national women's team to England than it is to send the entire IPL to the UAE? https://t.co/I43dKeDzvx
— Rick Eyre on cricket (@rickeyrecricket) July 24, 2020
This is not about the costs. It never was. The ECB have said they'll foot the bill. So what is this *really* about?
— Karunya (@kuks) July 24, 2020
Women's cricket deserves a plan, and the fans deserve an explanation. https://t.co/yHvfbKCpcv
Are the Indian women being sidelined again?https://t.co/T29eHrZ8Th via @thefield_in
— Women's Cricket Blog (@WomensCricBlog) July 24, 2020
Disappointing to see women's cricket in India being left to drift rudderless at the moment.
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) July 24, 2020
India women currently have
- no selection panel
- no general manager
- no confirmed fixtures until next year https://t.co/cMqJR2xlVB
For no good reason, Ganguly-led BCCI holds women’s cricket back once again https://t.co/ov5wKW4yXu via @scroll_in
— Manasi Pathak (@ThatUnitedLady) July 24, 2020
It doesn't look good! https://t.co/FGgf4mqsXm via @thefield_in
— Jamie Ramage (@famousstrauss) July 24, 2020
- “BCCI pulled the women’s team out of the England tour citing logistical problems, such as travel restrictions & assembling of training camps amid the Covid crisis. At the same time, the same board is working on a rescheduled IPL in UAE”https://t.co/SsuGahy54O via @scroll_in
— Asif Khan (@mak_asif) July 24, 2020
Seriously @BCCI @BCCIWomen come on! Isn’t sending the @IPL teams to UAE and citing difficulties with @ECB_cricket protocol and cancelling the tour reek of double standards? https://t.co/KqDRN0caG9
— Anindya Dutta (@Cric_Writer) July 24, 2020
With PTI Inputs