The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : `Twenty-20 will boost women's cricket'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 01, 2005

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`Twenty-20 will boost women's cricket'

`Twenty-20 will

boost women's cricket':Mithali

NEW DELHI: Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj on Tuesday said the Twenty-20 version could provide the right fillip for women's cricket in the country.

Mithali said the women's game needed to make itself more entertainment oriented in order to draw spectators and introducing a tournament in the mini-one-day format was the best way to move forward.

``People want entertainment, whether it is women's or men's cricket,'' Mithali, World record holder for the highest individual score in Tests, said.

``You watch men's cricket, it all about power. But women are not as strong as men. We don't have that speed nor the aggression.

``I think Twenty-20 would be a good idea, it will attract crowd. It will be more suited for television also,'' the 23-year old said.

Mithali and fellow Railways players — including Jaya Sharma, Neetu David, Amita Sharma, Hemlata Kala, Deepa Marathe, Nooshin Al Khader, and Reema Malhotra of the Indian team — received a total cash award of Rs. 5 lakh besides out-of-turn promotions.

Merger with BCCI

The Jodhpur-born cricketer believed the merger of the women's governing body with the BCCI, expected to be approved by the BCCI Working Committee at a meeting on June 2 and 3, would help women's cricket in the country.

— PTI

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