The ICC chairperson expressed his doubts over the future of women's Test cricket going forward.
ICC chairperson Greg Barclay made a contentious remark on the future of women’s Test cricket, stating he doesn’t see it becoming an integral part of the sport’s future landscape.
Barclay indicated the women’s Test cricket might stay limited to the biannual Ashes rivalry and the sporadic bilateral standalone fixtures that are arranged by other full-member nations.
With extensive focus on white-ball cricket, only India, England and Australia have played women’s Tests since 2017. In total, there have been just 143 Tests played over 88 years of the format’s existence in the women’s game.
There have been voices in favour to change that with the potential inauguration of a women’s World Test Championship (WTC), featuring 8-10 teams. But the game’s custodians aren’t even thinking along those lines, with Barclay saying he doesn’t see the format evolving at all.
“In order to play Test cricket, you have to have the structures in place domestically, and they don’t really exist. So I can’t really see women’s Test or long-form cricket evolving at any speed at all,” the ICC chairperson said on BBC Radio’s Test Match Special.
White-ball game the future of women’s cricket: ICC chair Greg Barclay
Barclay stressed on the idea of ODIs and T20Is being the main vehicles of women cricket’s growth and better standing in the world game right now. He said that given they act as the drive to attract the maximum financial moolah, it makes sense for ICC full-members to channelise their efforts towards the white-ball versions.
“If you look at the way cricket is going, there is no doubt that white-ball is the way of the future,” he said. “That is the game that is sought after by the fans, where the broadcasters are putting their resources, and what is driving the money. Therefore, the countries that are developing women’s cricket will focus on that.”
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Barclay was also asked for ICC’s stance with regards to the future of women’s cricket in Afghanistan, whose efforts towards organising a structure for an active female team have been stalled, with seemingly no hope of resurrection, since the return of the Taliban as the country’s political regime.
The religious extremists have established inhumane restrictions on women in the country, including the right to do any sporting activity, which has meant the players, who were looking forward to international careers as part of a well-run Afghanistan cricket team, have had to flee their own country to retain basic human rights.
Since the ICC rules don’t allow any full member to retain its membership without the existence of a functioning women’s team, eyes have been glued on Barclay & men to see whether Afghanistan would be stripped of their international status.
Barclay indicated the ICC is playing a waiting game and will let their recently appointed four-member committee come up with resolutions with time.
“The people involved in Afghan cricket assure me they are doing everything they can to get the women’s game better established, and what has happened is hopefully something of a blip in that process,” he said.
“Some other members have also had slow progress in developing a women’s game, so let’s give it time.”
Barclay’s comments on both women’s Tests and Afghanistan women’s game have attracted heavy criticism from fans and prominent media personnel around the world.
