A watershed moment for Women's cricket as ICC all set to label all T20s international

Earlier this week, ICC announced it is all set to accredit all T20 contests in the women’s sphere with an international status. This is not an ordinary recognition. It is tantamount to a heavy-duty escalation in the standard of the women’s game.



This effectively means that all women’s teams, come July 2018 shall be awarded international status where T20s stand. The subsequent rankings, however, come into place from October 2018.



Following the surprisingly pleasant decision, heads were turned in awe. And, a sigh was breathed in relief. Those who have always fancied contributing to cricket’s version of a sassy Friday matinee.



So while this means the ICC, after decades of basing tremendous focus on the men’s game, has created plans for the women’s game, can we expect more cohesive decisions to pit their cricket alongside their male counterparts?



But that told, it’s a watershed moment for world cricket if not a standalone victory for amplifying the impact T20 has on psyche and fanfare.



For starters, ICC’s pragmatism, it could be argued, has definitely paid off by having instituted a World T20 for the women’s game. Who would’ve thought of finding illustrious names running around in lush green fields with pigtails, sunscreen and bun a decade back?



Today, we’ve got to ask ourselves, isn’t it a hugely gratifying sight to be able to see a Jemimah Rodrigues compete with Jess Jonassen and an Ellyse Perry with Sana Mir in a format where all could be over before you blink an eye? The rise of T20s has been pivotal in galvanizing the Women’s game coming of age.



You don’t have to prevail in the lair of a Gayle, Warner, Kohli, Russell or De Villiers alone when you think of tantalizing sixes and thrilling outcomes. The names of Lanning, Mandhana, Goswami, Sciver, Beaumont, Taylor are giving globetrotting fans a reason to stay steady on the edge of their seats.



While on one hand, the inherent talent in aplenty has upped the ante for women’s sport in 20-over cricket, the river runs deep. Fans growing in an age of instant gratification jostling with limited timelines seek entertainment that is truly worth their while. Therefore, it could be that the propulsion of T20s in a culture that warrants entertainment has only heightened focus on the women's game. This coupled with ICC's grand move has resulted in amplification of women's T20 culture-that's hopefully going to grow with time.



It’s heartening to note that even if through the funnel of T20- not necessarily the benchmark for deciding a talent’s appraisal- women’s cricket is constantly discovering new legs. And there could be nothing more that both talents and admirers would want!