Weltnachrichten – AU – « The way ahead remains uncertain »: Women’s cricket and the effects of Covid-19

Much has been written about the impact of the pandemic on cricket both in England and elsewhere. Worldwide, men’s cricket seems to be slowly recovering – as I write this, Australia and India are fighting before 20. 000 socially distant fans, and the Mumbai Indians were recently crowned IPL champions for the fifth time.

But what about the women’s game? What impact has this pandemic, which has changed so many aspects of our lives, had on a sport that was growing rapidly among girls in England and which was launched in March ’86. 000 people saw the final of the T20 World Championship?

There are many reasons for optimism, but most of that optimism is being felt in England and Australia, and there is a possible risk that the pandemic has widened the existing gap between these two nations and other international sides.

I spoke to Mark Mitchener, who was unfortunate enough to see me hitting for the Canford Cygnets, our club. More importantly, Mark has been reporting on women’s cricket for the BBC Sports website for over a decade and is very familiar with the game.

I talked to him about the hundred women who would usher in a new era for the English home game. The competition has been postponed to 2021. Could this mean a year of lost opportunity? The interest in and awareness of women’s cricket has rapidly gained momentum before and even more since the English World Cup victory in 2017. What are the possible effects if you don’t have a hundred this year? Mark says it could be a waiting game and that « in terms of fan engagement, we may not see the full impact until next summer » if the Hundred has actually been played.

In the absence of the hundred, England still managed to go up against West Indies in a T20 series and there was the domestic 50 over Rachael Heyhoe Flint trophy, which Mark pointed out, “more columns -Inch generated than expected. Live online streaming helped keep fans engaged, as did BBC radio commentary on some games. In the meantime, Sky showed the final. Despite England’s 5-0 loss to the West Windies and the success of the Heyhoe-Flint Trophy, it’s hard to shake the feeling that they only filled a void. While they may have helped maintain interest, they haven’t had the exponential growth in fan engagement that the ECB is hoping for in the hundred. The way ahead remains somewhat uncertain.

This is not only the case in England, but also worldwide. The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) ended with a triumph for Sydney Thunder on Saturday and showed some significant spectacles and talent. This came not least from people like Heather Knight and Sarah Glenn from the English contingent. The WBBL strengthens the Australian national team – as Mark emphasized – and enables players from overseas to participate in high-quality and competitive cricket against the best in the world.

But what about the countries these players are from? Outside of England and Australia the picture is a little more worrying. « Concern in a post-Covid world means that national bodies with financial difficulties are most likely to organize bio-safe bubbles for their most financially viable cricket – and that means men’s internationals and T20 leagues, with women’s cricket sometimes an afterthought Lack of international games since March shows, ”said Mark. People like South Africa couldn’t fly to England for a series this summer despite their male counterparts traveling to the IPL. In India and New Zealand, options have been limited since the pandemic began. As Mark told me, many of these problems stem from a lack of funding that could only potentially get worse over time.

The global women game outside of England and Australia faces a nervous wait. There is much reason to be optimistic, as the WBBL and the upcoming Women’s Hundred show, but there are reservations. Only time will tell the exact impact the pandemic has on women’s gaming.

Australian Cricket Team for Men, One Day International, Cricket for Women, National Cricket Team for India, Cricket Team for England, Twenty20, Big Bash League for Women, ICC World Cricket Championship