The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Expectations have risen: Mithali

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Monday, Feb 05, 2007
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Expectations have risen: Mithali

Principal Correspondent

HYDERABAD: It is not easy to hog the limelight consistently in any sport. More so when you are leading the Indian women's cricket team, given the inadequate support it had been getting till the recent merger of the WCAI with the BCCI.

However, 25-year-old Mithali Raj keeps doing exactly that with wonderful consistency. And now she is focussed on the Quadrangular championship in Chennai later this month featuring Australia, New Zealand and England besides the host.

Will be tougher

"It will be tougher than the Asia Cup (which India won for the second time)," she asserts. "Our batting is the strong point," she said.

"Definitely, playing on home turf will be a big advantage. And the expectations too have risen since we are doing well. All I can say is that we have to fight it out in every match. Obviously, being world champion Australia is the favourite."

On the merger of WCAI and the BCCI, Mithali, who is an Office Superintendent II in South Central Railway, believes that it will take another couple of years for the benefits to filter down to the grass-roots.

"Fortunately for us, Shivlal sir (HCA secretary Shivlal Yadav) is showing interest. It was good to see him watch the South Zone championship recently," she said. Right now the women's cricketers are paid Rs.1500 for domestic matches and Rs. 2500 for internationals.

Long way to go

"When we won the first-ever Test series in England last year and the Asia Cup, we won a bonus of Rs.1 lakh each," said Mithali, who played eight Tests scoring 527 (avg of 52.00) and 86 one-dayers coring 2613 runs (avg 47.50). "No doubt we still have a long way to go," she added.

Interestingly, the Gymkhana Ground in Secunderabad is all set to get a new look with two well furnished pavilions and a conference hall to take special care of the women cricketers' needs.

Be more professional

"For better results," Mithali, a former World record holder for the highest individual score in women's Test cricket with a score of 214, said "we need to get more professional in our approach. Perhaps, it will be beneficial if the women's domestic circuit is conducted on the same format as the Ranji Trophy, at least from next season. And from the players' point of view, there has to be a change in attitude. They should be always focussed.

"I don't think we need a foreign coach as the Indians are doing a good job," she said.

Right now, Mithali is focussed for the Quadrangular tournament, the major season-ending event.

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