Former captain Diana Edulji has no qualms in asserting that India's U-19 stars fielded far better in their triumphant T20 World Cup campaign than the senior team did in South Africa, and she believes that most of them would struggle if the Yo-Yo test were to become mandatory in women's cricket.
Edulji, a member of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee that managed the BCCI for 33 months, was appalled by India's dismal fielding performance in the T20 World Cup semifinal in Cape Town on Thursday. She expressed her shock and dismay at the lack of effort displayed by the Indian team, which ultimately cost them the match.
Speaking to PTI, Edulji attributed the team's subpar fielding and running between the wickets to a lack of fitness. She also noted that skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had been too casual while running the second run, which ultimately resulted in a game-changing run out when the bat got stuck in the ground.
With the T20 World Cup scheduled for September 2024, Edulji is advocating for the BCCI to appoint permanent support staff for the women's team, rather than relying on personnel from the NCA on an ad-hoc basis. This would ensure that the team has the necessary resources and support to perform at their best and make a strong showing in the upcoming tournament.
Edulji slammed the fitness levels of the current squad, saying the triumphant U-19 World Cup winning squad looked fitter. "I found the U-19 team much fitter than the seniors. They didn't choke in the final. From 2017 to 2023 it is the same old story (for the senior team).
"The BCCI must have proper assessment of players' fitness. I know yo yo test is a bit tough for women. Out of 15 , 12 will fail that test but you have a different criteria for them for acceptable fitness standards. Right now there is no accountability on that front," she told PTI a day after India's five run loss in the semifinals.
"They need absolute danda (BCCI needs to crack the whip) to reach the top. You are getting everything from the BCCI including equal play. Every time you lose a winning game, it is a habit. BCCI has to take a strong call and not give in to the demands of the players. Have a proper strategy for the future. We have had enough of this star culture. It is not going to work like this," said Edulji.
Harmanpreet's run-out was the turning point of the game, and Edulji felt the Indian skipper could have performed better. This costly mistake shifted the momentum of the match, leaving the team in a precarious position and ultimately leading to their defeat.
"She is thinking the bat got stuck but if you see the second run she was jogging. Why are you running in a relaxed manner when you know when your wicket is so important? You have to play professional cricket to win. Look at the dive Perry made to save those two runs. That is what professionalism is. They don't give up till the end and we are not ready to fight at all. You can't be falling at the last hurdle all the time."
"She was casual on the second run. She thought she would comfortably reach. We were told in the 1970s by Mr. Sunil Gavaskar that every ball you have to learn to ground your bat then only you get into that habit.
"Her bat was in the wrong hand (left). If she held it in the right hand, she would have been able to stretch herself and complete the run," she said.
Edulji feels a change in leadership will not make much of a difference. "A captain is as good as the team. if Smriti comes in, same players are there. It won't make much of a difference. Also it's high time that musical chairs of the support staff is stopped. What is the bowling coach doing? The bowling has deteriorated. Spinners have completely gone out of form.
"With great difficulty we beat Pakistan, West Indies. We should have gone all out against England to escape Australia in the semifinals. They struggled against Ireland too. Okay these were tired (over used) wickets but everyone was playing on the same surface," added Edulji.
(With inputs from PTI)
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