With warm-ups, last-minute practice sessions and team media days out of the way, it was time for the captains of the 10 participating teams in the Women’s T20 World Cup to be hauled out of their hotel rooms early for press duties here on Wednesday.
In the centre of the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Alyssa Healy, captain of the defending champion Australia, led her contemporaries in a rather artsy photo shoot which involved Dubai’s very own peregrine falcons perched on the arms of a few and others riding camels, with camerapersons waiting for their money shot.
Under an hour and many many autographs later, the captains were on stage this time, addressing the press horde. While country lines and rivalries divide this bunch, the captains came together to call for good governance and planning for a rapidly growing women’s cricket ecosystem in a candid panel discussion led by Australian cricketer-turned-broadcaster Mel Jones.
“Compared to the men’s game that’s packed and has so much going on, the women’s game is in its infancy with more depth coming in from leagues around the world,” Heather Knight, England captain said at the tournament’s Captains’ Day.
“We’re at a massive advantage if the game is governed properly, to plot out what the ecosystem looks like and help it grow rather than leaving it to market forces,” she said.
“The pay disparity around the world is so big that you understand why (players opt for leagues). That is the danger because of the opportunities that come up, but the planning needs to be such that the two verticals thrive off each other and push the overall game forward,” she added.
“Our people back home were so ready for this (the World Cup coming back to Bangladesh soil). But now we’re here and we just want to do something that will help the fans back home. Sharjah has a considerable Bangladesh population so I hope they’ll all come out and support us.”Nigar Sultana, Bangladesh captain
Countries like India, Australia and England have benefitted immensely from having franchise events which have, in turn, helped blood fresh talent into the playing pool and impacted experience and playing quality positively. However, this trend is anything but global.
“I have seen a lot of countries develop leagues,” said Pakistan’s globetrotting captain Fatima Sana. “More leagues mean more opportunities (to play). I hope Pakistan gets one too. It’ll definitely help players.”
Nations like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and even others like West Indies have also consistently run into issues due to contract discrepancies.
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“A few countries have increased women players’ contracts and pay, I hope all nations can do that because it provides a lot for the women’s game,” said Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu.
“Media support is important for the women’s game as are sponsorships. In those aspects, the women’s game and men’s game should be the same, have the same approach,” she added.
Scotland is miles away in this discussion with the system there still functioning in a semi-professional manner.
“A lot of the players that are semi-professional or not professional at all try to balance training alongside their livelihood. A few of our girls now are playing in the English domestic leagues. We’ve been fortunate to have that kind of next-door-neighbour to take advantage of and that’s given our players the chance to give cricket a proper crack,” said Scotland skipper Kathryn Bryce.
On the international front, the number of teams participating in showpiece events like the World Cup is set to increase from 10 now to 12 in 2026 and 16 in 2030.
West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews called for more games between Associate nations and full members even outside of the tournament.
“If other teams are allowed to be against the top-ranked teams. It only makes them better and makes the system better as well and helps women’s cricket to grow overall,” she said.
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New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine believes the ICC Women’s Championships can drive that with some help from wider adoption of the multiformat template to bilaterals.
“I’d love to see that format taken up by every country that’s playing. In the ICC Women’s Championship, maybe get a second tier in there so countries who haven’t quite reached the top tier are given the same opportunities to grow. Have a promotion and relegation,” Devine said.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur called for the induction of more red-ball cricket and the comeback of a few old fan-favourite tournaments for the game’s global health.
“(Getting to) The Olympics is fine. But if we can add more Test cricket and bring back things like the Champions Trophy, players will also be excited to go out and play,” she said.
The Women’s T20 World Cup gets underway on Thursday in Sharjah with Bangladesh taking on Scotland in the opener. Watching along closely will be Healy-led Australia which is eyeing a fourth trophy on the trot.
“There are 10 teams that deserve to be here and have a real shot of winning this World Cup. You don’t come here to defend the title, that’s not what a World Cup is about. You come here to win it. I’m excited to get started,” she said.
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