The results and the approach do not relatively match up
Over the last decade, women’s justice in India has gauged new highs. The platoon reached the final of the 2017 ODI World Cup in England and the final of the 2020 T20 World Cup — ending runners- up in both but it can be argued that these achievements have not come due to a methodical structure and substantiation of that erratic approach can be seen indeed now.
The 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is listed to begin on February 10 just over a month from now. And the Indian platoon finds itself without a head trainer or a bowling trainer. There’s the consolation of a fur trainer in Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who was appointed to the post when the former head trainer Ramesh Powar was shunted to the National Cricket Academy on December 6, 2022.
In the month that has gone by since the appointment of Kanitkar
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has not invited operations for the post of the head trainer or the bowling trainer and neither have they named proper reserves. The Cricket Advisory Committee, which would under ordinary circumstances look at new aspirants for these positions, is not apprehensive of the hiring process moreover.
So, the Indian platoon, despite being one of the favourites for the T20 World Cup, finds itself in the unenviable position of going into a big event without a head trainer.
The Harmanpreet Kaur- led platoon
which is a week down from going on a stint of South Africa for atri-series involving the hosts, India and the West Indies and in the middle of an introductory camp at the NCA, literally has to figure out the effects on its own. It could indeed manage that but it should not have to. Not in this day and age.
Australia( Shelley Nitschke), England( Jon Lewis), New Zealand( Ben Sawyer) and indeed Pakistan( Arshad Khan) have had regular trainers attached with them for a considerable time to prepare for themega-event but India despite its bournes has lagged behind in this aspect.
The BCCI
Ironically, the BCCI has managed to have a veritably structured approach for the initialU-19 women’s World Cup. For the once 10 months, theU-19 probables were exposed to the same set of trainers and support staff. Trainers from the same set were appointed to go with the platoon to South Africa with Nooshin- Al- Khadeer as head trainer.
Why the BCCI has failed to replicate a analogous approach for the elderly platoon is a question worth asking over and over again. This is a platoon that handed Australia( who had a record of 24 triumphs, 1 draw and 1 loss in 26 completed matches across formats in 2022) their only defeat of the time. Surely, they earn lesser attention from the powers that be.