"You need to have someone managing women’s cricket separately" - Mithali Raj backs the idea of having women's wing at NCA

Former Indian skipper Mithali Raj has backed the idea of having a women's wing at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

Incidentally, NCA is a facility developed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to nurture young cricketers. Injured cricketers can also report to the NCA for rehabilitation purposes.

Mithali highlighted the importance of having a separate wing for women cricketers, saying that it will help the cricketers. However, she also mentioned that it is at the discretion of the BCCI to have a separate department.

"The busier women’s cricket gets and the more tournaments they play, you need to have a separate wing to run women’s cricket," Mithali told the Indian Express. "One person can’t manage everything and you need to have someone managing women’s cricket separately. There will be a lot of camps and senior-level matches also. It will in fact help if there is a separate women’s wing. But that is at the discretion of the BCCI."

Currently, women cricketers also report to the NCA if they need any help pertaining to their game or fitness.

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"We don't have too many matches" - Mithali Raj on the domestic structure

Speaking further about the domestic structure in India, Mithali stressed the need to have more domestic games, which she thinks will give exposure to the players.

However, the former Indian skipper believes the introduction of the Women's Premier League (WPL) would do the players a world of good.

"The domestic system, unlike men’s cricket, we don’t have too many matches. We have senior one-day league and Super League and same with T20," Mithali continued. "In the domestic circuit, we don’t have too many tournaments. So the players are heavily reliant only on these tournaments. In these tournaments, if you happen to be a finalist you get to play all matches, and still roughly end up with 15 games a year. That is not enough. Those games will not give you enough exposure.

"In that sense, with the WPL, and scouting and camps, there will be a proper system to nurture it. Then players don’t really have to stress themselves to perform in one tournament. You get another shot at WPL. There is going to be another opportunity where if you do well, you are once again on the radar of the selectors."

The inaugural edition of the WPL auction is scheduled to take place in Mumbai on Monday, February 13. Five teams will participate in the tournament, which will take place between March 4 and 26 at the Brabourne Stadium and the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Mumbai.

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