Hyderabad: In 2017 India cricket enthusiasts were forced to take notice of the country's women cricket team after they reached the final of the World Cup for the second time and came as close as nine runs to being world champions.
Despite not lifting the elusive World Cup trophy, Women in Blue were able to start a first-of-its-kind revolution for women’s cricket in India. One must wonder what would have happened, had they won the WC trophy.
And when asked about the same, in an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, England World Cup-winning coach Mark Robinson said, "India is a powerhouse. The TV audience was enormous largely because of Indian interest."
"The fact that India reached the final and did so well in the competition. I think that gave India and world cricket huge bit. So if India would have won it. It would have made a difference," Robinson added.
Robinson said that winning that World Cup would have also made a difference in the Indian team in terms of "their belief and in their confidence".
Robinson also insisted that "India is sleeping giant in terms of investment in women's cricket."
When asked about the clash of dates between India's Women's T20 Challenge and it's Australian counterpart, Women's Big Bash League, Robinson took a moderate stand saying it’s not ideal time for the clash between WIPL and WBBL.
"It's not ideal for the game. It is not an ideal time or situation," Robinson said.
However, Robinson further stressed that before deciding on Women's T20 Challengers' dates the Indian cricket board must have thought about all the logistical issues and infrastructure in Sharjah where it's going to be played.
The former England women's cricket team coach who guided the England women's team to World Cup glory in 2017, said that it was the "simplest and easiest way" to organise the Women's IPL at the end of men's Indian Premier League due to all these issues.
Robinson also reckoned that "it's not ideal to play Women's IPL when Women's Big Bash League is going on. But at least it's happening."
"It is also an opportunity for players who would not have been a part of women's Big Bash League. So internationally it is opening an opportunity for cricketers from worldwide," the 53-year said before adding, "It's a shame Australian won't be a part of WIPL and some leading Indian players would miss the opportunity to play in WBBL."
Robinson went on to add that it is an extraordinary time and sometimes you have to take all these measures. "2020 has been a ruin for women's cricket. Not a lot of women's tournaments have been played."
