It’s good to be home after a successful tour. When we landed last night in Chennai there were a lot of reporters waiting for us but I had to rush to catch my connecting flight to Hyderabad and couldn’t give any interviews. There have been a few calls for interviews here as well.
Overall, I felt it was a good tournament for India. We tried out five newcomers and I am happy that all of them utilised the opportunity to ease themselves in to international cricket. As far as the other teams are concerned, at the start of the tournament I thought we would get some stiff competition, but after the first leg, I felt it was easier than it should have been.
Bangladesh is a very talented side. In their very first outing, they have performed – so they are ready to play in this level. Pakistan, I feel, have underperformed. This is the more or less the same side as the last Asia Cup but they haven’t delivered this time – maybe their batting has failed. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have a good bowling and fielding side but they don’t have depth in their middle order. Their top order is good but once they are dismissed, Sri Lanka don’t have the batsmen to take them to a competitive total.
The positive side for India was that in each innings we were crossing 250-plus and then bowling the opposition out for low scores. We don’t discuss targets in team meetings but the coaches do highlight any technical faults or suggest variations that bowlers can try. The standard in the Asia Cup wasn’t like it is when we play Australia or England but I’m sure there will be improvements in each team soon.
Our next tour is to England in September. We have been given training schedules to maintain our levels of fitness and will have a couple of camps before the tour. England will be tough opposition because they have just beaten Australia in the Ashes. We will have to be very careful in our preparations.
I will be joining the Railways team for a camp at the end of this month. So see you then.
Excellent performance by the Indian women's team!!The team is miles ahead in talent compared to the rest of the asian counterparts. The men's team are one of the top two teams in the world, U-19 boys winnning the world cup, the phenomenal success of IPL and now another feather in India's cap!! Go India Go!!
Posted by: Vishy at May 14, 2008 2:01 PM
Hey! Congratulations! I love following the women's team! In Asia, you guys are the best by a long shot!! It would be great if Cricinfo gives it a bit more prominent coverage than it does!!
May be someone should conceive a tournament with 5 women and 6 men in each team (or vice versa). That would, by far, go a long way in getting you the coverage you badly need and, more importantly, deserve! And you have a trusted follower already!!
Well, best of luck with the World cup ahead! A win at the cup could be the substantial fillip the women's cricket is looking for...
Posted by: Aditya Mookerjee at May 14, 2008 2:18 PM
All the best for the future, too.
Posted by: Hammad Siddiqi, Cincinnati Ohio at May 14, 2008 3:25 PM
Despite being a die hard Pakistan fan, I still have to tip my hat to the Indian ladies for a great accomplishment. The gulf between India and the rest of the region in women's sport was all the more apparent in this tournament.
I completely agree with your assessment about Pakistan underperforming, however given the lack of facilities and support for women's athletics in Pakistan, the fact that Pakistan manages to consistently field a team is an accomplishment in itself. Baby steps, but progress nevertheless.
Your win is well deserved. Well done Mithali & Co. however beware the Cornered Tiger (or Tigress in this case!)
Posted by: Arun Jose at May 14, 2008 6:24 PM
Great going, Mithali!
Let's get going and beat the Poms, next!
Way to go!!!
Posted by: Praveen at May 15, 2008 1:59 AM
Congrats to you and the team Mythili for the consistant performance and terrific win !
Posted by: Jay at May 15, 2008 2:00 PM
"Their top order is good but once they are dismissed, Sri Lanka don’t have the batsmen to take them to a competitive total"
Keeping aside what i really think of women's cricket....shouldn't that be bats-women...
Posted by: Suchit at May 15, 2008 6:45 PM
Congrats on such a dominant performance!
Is woman cricket also following the man's cricket by keeping your main player Anjum Chopra out, she definitely deserves to be in the team, but a great show nevertheless.
Posted by: Rajarshi at May 16, 2008 8:08 PM
Great win Mithali- only wish it had received more media coverage than the IPL. But that's how life is in the sub-continent. Anyway, chin up and beat the poms come september.
Posted by: Hema at May 18, 2008 7:31 AM
Hey Mithali.. Congrats to ur team.. Excellent win...
Posted by: prasad at May 19, 2008 11:44 AM
Congratulations, Mithali and the other team members. U hve did a wonderful job winning the Asia Cup. I hve become a fan of ur team and regularly follow ur matches. Maintain this form while playing with England. Wish u all the best for ur tour of England. Whatever the result maybe, just go out and play with ur whole heart.
Posted by: Kudos at May 30, 2008 5:32 PM
kudos! bravo! Mithali & whole Indian Women cricket team are doing a very good job!!! All the best for future games!!!
Mithali Raj, India's former captain, has been on the international circuit for a decade. In August 2006, she led India to their first-ever Test and series win in England and capped off the year by winning the Asia Cup - the second time in 12 months - without dropping a game. India, under her captaincy, also reached the World Cup final in 2005. Now, as one of the senior members of the side, and the premier batsman, a lot will be riding on her for the two World Cups - 50-over and Twenty20 - that India will play in 2009.
Urooj Mumtaz managed to juggle a course in dentistry along with captaining Pakistan. Their most recent triumph was qualifying for the World Cup next year and the 22-year old Urooj will lead a young team to Australia in hope of creating a favourable impression of the Pakistan women's team among the other sides as well as back home. A legspinner, she has a hat-trick against Zimbabwe.
Cri-zelda Brits became South Africa’s captain at the age of 23, standing in for Shandre Fritze in the home series against Pakistan in 2007. She followed this by captaining the side to a 3-0 series whitewash against the Netherlands as well as winning the first-ever Test between the two sides by 159 runs. In 2008 she scored her maiden ODI hundred and led South Africa to a spot in the World Cup after beating Pakistan in the Qualifiers final in Stellenbosch. She also coaches the Northwest women's team, based in Potchefstroom, and runs her own academy.
Shelley Nitschke combines playing for Australia and her state with working in cricket, as a school officer. A useful spinner, her batting is also worth talking about – she has developed into a handy allrounder. Her major achievements to date are winning the 2005 World Cup, taking 7 for 24 against England in Kidderminster in 2005 and being nominated for the ICC Women's Player of the Year in 2006-07. Although she has played netball, softball and basketball, cricket has always been her stand-out sport.
Ebony Rainford-Brent made history as one of eight England players to be handed a Chance to Shine coaching contract, allowing her flexibility around training. A top-order batsman, she fought back from what doctors thought was a career-killing back injury and could one day bowl again – calling her determined is an understatement. She is on the Surrey Academy and her Super 4s side is Diamonds. Proficient in basketball and athletics, she settled for playing cricket … and the drums.
Haidee Tiffen has played for New Zealand for more than ten years and is now their captain, having begun her career with Otago Under-21s before heading to Canterbury. She has played representational hockey, basketball and rugby – but cricket is her passion and won out over New Zealand junior hockey. She is particularly proud of winning the World Cup in 2000, reaching the 100-ODI milestone and being skipper. Her experience also includes playing for Sussex for two winters and she was also part of the first female academy in Lincoln. Somehow she also finds time to teach Health and PE at Hillmorton High School.
Isobel Joyce,a class bat with a steely mentality, comes from a family full of cricketers - twin sister Cecilia plays alongside her for Ireland and brother Dom for the men’s national team, while another brother, Ed, plays for England and Middlesex. Her first half-century came against a strong New Zealand attack in Dublin in 2004 and her figures of 4 for 20 helped her side beat Scotland by six wickets in the European Championship in 2001, where Ireland won all their three matches. Her 46 against Netherlands in the summer of 2007 helped to maintain her place in the World Cup qualifiers in South Africa. She was in outstanding form with both and ball during the tournament, scoring 148 runs at 37 and taking 10 wickets at an average of 7. She ran out five Pakistani players in Ireland's first match, before earning two successive Player-of-the-Match awards against Scotland and then Zimbabwe, against whom she scored 70 and took 4 for 10. She was named captain for their next series, against West Indies, after Heather Whelan pulled out because she was expecting.
Nadine George has been a regular for West Indies since her debut in 1999. She first led the side on their tour of Europe in June-July 2008, when West Indies thrashed Ireland and Netherlands while putting up a respectable performance against England. Nadine combines playing for West Indies and her national team, St.Lucia, with her day job as a Sergeant in the Police Marine Unit of the Royal St.Lucia Police Force. A left-hand batsman and wicketkeeper, Nadine says the highlights of her career are receiving an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2005, being the first West Indies woman cricketer to score a century in a Test (in Pakistan in 2004), playing in the World Cup in South Africa (2005), and playing club cricket in Australia in 2006. Nadine also plays netball and volleyball and loves the marine environment and is passionate about diving. She is a qualified open water diver and during her working hours captains a 65 and 82 ft vessel. Her motto in life is "with hard work and dedication one can achieve".
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