ICC silent on BCCI’s request to treat Women’s Championship as 'best of six'

The Indian women's team has won only two of six one-day internationals so far this year.

Indian women were outclassed by their Australian counterparts in the three-match ODI series so far.

The Indian women’s team has played six one-day internationals, three against South Africa and as many against Australia, the results of which would count for the ICC Women’s Championship 2017-2020. India has won two against South Africa and lost four (one to South Africa and three to Australia).

After last week’s dismal showing against Australia at Baroda, India has four points and slipped to the fourth position in the points table. India will play the ICC World Cup winner England in three ODIs in Nagpur in April and there is every chance that it would drop further in the eight-team league.

Read: Australia women complete clean sweep against India

Mithali Raj’s team played both South Africa in the away series and Australia at home, not knowing if the ICC Women’s Championship would be treated as a 'best of six' affair. Eight teams --- Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan --- are competing in the Championship with the objective of finishing among the top three and gaining a direct entry into the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand.  

Last November the BCCI told the ICC and its Women’s Committee that the second edition of the Championship should be a treated as a ‘best of six’ affair because of the Government of India’s stand on bilateral ties, especially against Pakistan.

India dropped points by not playing Pakistan in the first edition of the Championship (2014-16) and was compelled to play the qualifier in Sri Lanka.

While the BCCI has not received any reply from the ICC, officials in touch with the ICC told Sportstar that the Women’s Championship is an eight-team affair with each team playing a series of three ODIs on a home or away basis.