Anjum Chopra wants BCCI to be 'more specific in communication about women's cricket'

Anjum Chopra, the former India women's captain and current television commentator, believes that the BCCI has a plan for women's cricket but wants the board to communicate its ideas more clearly.

Speaking to PTI, Chopra said: "It's not that the BCCI is not thinking about women's cricket. I only think they need to be more specific in communication about women's cricket.

"I firmly believe that they must be thinking about women's cricket but the communication all this while has been very specific to men's cricket."

The BCCI has received criticism of withdrawing the women from a tour of England in September, owing to logistical issues arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Then there is the question of the Women's T20 Challenge clashing with the WBBL.

Chopra said missing out on the England tour is "not nice" but Indian players' participation in the T20 Challenge will still be useful preparation for next year's ODI World Cup.

"It is heartening to see women's cricket making headlines," Chopra said. "They should have been a part of that England tour and it did not feel nice initially but the women's IPL [T20 Challenge], irrespective of the format, will be helpful for World Cup preparations. Any form of cricket is good preparation.

"Missing out on a tournament is not nice, but logistically there may have been issues. And you can't send an under-prepared team.

"If you see it in isolation, we may have missed out on an opportunity to play in England. The more the girls play the better it is, before playing a tournament of the stature of World Cup. [But] the assurance from the president [Sourav Ganguly] is a very good thing."

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Chopra welcomed the decision to hold the women's event in the UAE alongside the IPL, which will run from September 19 to November 10. The women's T20 Challenge will coincide with the knockouts of the men's league.

"I am definitely happy, it's always nice to be part of any cricket anywhere across the world," Chopra said. "They should have been nearing the final stages of the preparation for the World Cup by now, but because of the pandemic things did not go as planned."