Not ready for IPL-style league: Mithali

Says a pool of quality players is needed for it

March 20, 2018 10:37 pm | Updated 10:37 pm IST - MUMBAI

Back in the mix: Jhulan Goswami’s return is certain to please Mithali Raj.

Back in the mix: Jhulan Goswami’s return is certain to please Mithali Raj.

Mithali Raj put an end to the debate on whether the BCCI should start an IPL-style league for women, saying the time was not ripe for it.

“I think it’s important to have a pool of quality players who will be qualified to play the IPL kind of league. India-A itself needs quality players. Once we have enough players, it would be wise enough to think about it. There is a big difference between an international player and a domestic player. Presently, it (league) may go against promoting women’s cricket,” she said here on Tuesday.

The skipper felt that the India-A team will take time to build. “We have just started forming the India-A team. It will take a couple of years to get the second string in place. There are some young and talented players, but they need to be given exposure. I am sure in a year or two we will have a better second-string side. We need to invest in young players like Jemimah Rodrigues, Tanya Bhatia and Pooja Vastrakar.”

About the contract given to 19 women cricketers, Mithali said: “It is a great decision by the BCCI. When you have the contract in place, players tend to invest more in the game. They would know that they would be paid for their best performances and would keep their fitness levels high.

“It also means that each time you step on the ground you are expected to be a professional. There are a lot of players who come from the interiors of India and are financially not very sound. With the contract system in place, every cricketer can hope to play for India and become financially secure.”

Jhulan Goswami, while agreeing with Mithali on a number of topics, said she had recovered well from a foot injury and is ready for the T20 triangular featuring Australia, England and India.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.