Shafali Verma has been chosen as India’s captain for the first ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in South Africa in January 2023. Here are three reasons why this is a bad decision. On Monday, December 5, when the selectors named the contingent for the same, the decision became clear.
Richa Ghosh, a wicketkeeper and batsman, is also a part of the team, along with the dashing opener. Given that the two have been regulars with the senior Indian women’s team for some time and have not been in and around the U19 setup that just defeated New Zealand in a five-match series, the move comes as a surprise.
This received mixed reactions. While some fans believed that the decision to prioritize winning the U19 World Cup was the right one, others disagreed with the move.
In light of this, let’s take a look at three of the reasons why Shafali should not participate in the U19 World Cup.
#1 It denies another player the chance to grow and learn
While winning the U19 World Cup is crucial, players’ growth is just as important.
The tournament’s experience and intense pressure accelerate the development of inexperienced talent into finished products.
As a result, Shafali’s appointment as captain of the team hinders the growth of the two players.
At the World Cup, Shweta Sehrawat, who led India in the series against New Zealand, could have added to her credentials as a captain.
The fact that Shafali made the team also takes away the opportunity for a different opening batter to develop more quickly.
#2 Shafali will not gain much at the U19 World Cup
Shafali has struggled as a batter in international cricket, particularly when faced with deliveries that are pitched low. However, you would think that playing more at the highest level, if not grinding it out in domestic cricket, would give her the best chance of overcoming the same obstacle.
She gets to do neither by captaining India at the U19 World Cup. She may not have much to gain by improving her skills as a batter at the U19 World Cup because she has been playing at the highest level for the past three years.
Nevertheless, this does not in any way denigrate the participants in the tournament. She might be put through her paces by unidentified bowlers in the tournament. However, at this point, it’s a big if.
#3 Can get disturbed in preparation for the senior Women’s T20 World Cup
Shafali has held the top spot in the ICC Player Rankings for women in Twenty20 Internationals in the past. That, combined with the contentious organization she has framed at the top with Smriti Mandhana, has made her a crucial machine gear-piece in the Indian arrangement.
The opener, who was born in Rohtak, is expected to make the Indian team for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in February, just 12 days after the Women’s U19 World Cup final. The U19 World Cup in January is scheduled to coincide with a tri-series in South Africa that will also feature the West Indies.
Shafali and Richa Ghosh would inevitably miss that tri-series due to this. The duo’s absence just prior to the T20 World Cup will undoubtedly impede their preparations for the main event.
Although the selectors have chosen to take the risk, it does not appear to be the best course of action from the outset.