What do cricketing giants India and Australia have in common, that England does not have? A T20 league of their own! The cricket giants, England along with Australia, India and South Africa have a strong hold and say in the matters of the ICC. With India having its own domestic T20 league, the IPL and Australia conducting the Big Bash it was about time that England ventured into the fray.
Apart from Kevin Peterson, Joe Root, Stuart Broad and James Anderson, none of the current crop of cricketers have featured in either of the leagues. However, it is surprising that England decided to launch it through women’s cricket. The ECB still seem to be divided on the aspect of having a separate T20 league for the men.
The league would see six franchises participating in the three week long round-robin tournament. The league is scheduled to end with the final game scheduled to be played at the most famous ground for Women’s cricket, in Chelmsford. Speaking about the league, current England and Lancashire Thunder bowler Kate Cross said that this would be massive for women’s cricket. She also added that looking at the way the women’s big bash shaped up in Australia, it was about time England had a league of their own.
This would help young women cricketers a chance to get a chance to play in the national team. It would also help the women cricketers improve and hone their skills on a domestic level as this would mean increased match practice.
Although the current teams features only domestic players, it is safe to say that there would be an interesting mix of both national and international players similar to the other leagues in the coming days. How well it fares will have to be seen as the league is currently scheduled to clash with the men’s high profile clash against Pakistan and the Olympics.
It might be safe to say that for the first leg of the tournament, there might be reduced TV coverage. Initially, the players have been chosen and divided from the current pool of domestic cricketers. Based on how they fare, it would be decided whether the league can be held on an international scale.
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