Former India cricketer Sudha Shah on Wednesday advocated for more women’s Test cricket, suggesting that a minimum of three Tests should comprise a series and a championship like the men’s World Test Championship (WTC) may even be introduced to get all the member nations to play Tests.
“I feel, in the first place, they should stop the one-off Tests. They should be playing at least three Tests. Minimum, three-Test series,” she said, speaking ahead of the one-off Test between India and South Africa that begins here on Friday.
“And I think the other (national) associations should be educated about it. Maybe, ICC should say that they have to be playing (Tests) or introduce a Test Championship.”
She also prefers the now scrapped inter-zonal multi-day tournament, played last year, over the multi-day Challenger Trophy.
“I think they should be playing inter-zonal and not the Challengers. I feel Challengers finally turns out to be like selection matches. I feel they should have inter-zonal.
“I think there are a lot of girls in each zone that have the potential to be playing for the zone. And you have five zones. Here, you have three teams for challengers. Maybe, four.
“So, I feel inter-zonal will help the zones and the states. And frankly, like I said, Challengers, they play like it’s a selection match. When you play inter-zonal, you feel like you belong to a zone, and you have to play and win for your zone. I feel that makes a difference.”
She featured in the first official Test series that India played in 1976, versus West Indies (WI). She recalled receiving the best fielder award for the rain-interrupted Chennai Test in that series.
This time, she would hope that the rain stays away, as she plans to go and watch the match on all four days.
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