Regrouping will be vital, feels India ODI skipper Mithali Raj

The Women’s Senior one-day knockouts and the challenger series were cancelled by the BCCI in the wake of COVID-19 which would have acted as a preparation for the World Cup. India’s tour to England which is scheduled to start from June 25 is also on uncertain lines and could be pushed back further as the world continues to grapple with the Coronavirus.

“In that context, this is welcome news amidst the crisis because of COVID-19 that is threatening the world. Definitely, this is good news even though we are not still sure when the conditions will improve and sporting activity will resume,” Mithali was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

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“It is important for the team to regroup first, plan about the coaching camps with the specific objective of winning the trophy,” she added. The bilateral series between India and Pakistan (part of ICC Women’s ODI Championship), which was scheduled to happen last year, could not be conducted due to issues within the government of both the countries forcing the ICC to split points allowing the Women in Blue through.

“With the issue of the World Cup settled, we can plan the preparation much better as there will be enough time when the situation improves, hopefully, by August this year,” said Mithali, who is in line to play her sixth World Cup.

“Of course, a lot depends on the kind of international schedule women’s cricket can afford in the run-up to the World Cup. But, by all means, with India qualifying for the tournament, the focus can shift to planning for the event in order to realise the big dream of winning the World Cup,” added the skipper who led India to the final in the 2017 edition in England.

However, all could Mithali hope is that things get to normal soon and the athletes can at least go back to stadiums and start training. “For now, the focus cannot be on competitions but on resuming training sessions,” she concluded.