Titans in the race

Eight cricket teams are set to set the stage on fire in New Zealand as the 12th edition of the women's World Cup is off to a flying start. Signs are clear from the opener match itself where the underdog West Indies team defeated the hosts in a thrilling finish. Indeed, an exciting month lies ahead for cricket lovers. First held in 1973 — even before the men's cricket World Cup — ICC Women's World Cup is yet to break many barriers. Until now, the trinity of Australia, England and New Zealand have maintained absolute dominance through their remarkable gameplay in the tournament. This dominance is waiting to be broken as the women's cricket World Cup has traversed a journey of nearly five decades and untitled teams are knocking hard on the door to make their presence felt. India had nearly grabbed the title against the host England in the last edition held in 2017. It almost threw Indian cricket fans into shock and players into tears as India lost seven wickets when it just needed to score the last 40 runs. English pacer Anya Shrubsole had pulled the victory from Indian titans through a wonderful spell of four overs, clinching five wickets in addition to the one taken earlier. Obviously, the shocking defeat took India some time to recover but the team is up again with a new zeal under the leadership of seasoned Mithali Raj. Leaving the title aside for a moment, the prowess of the Indian women's cricket team remains unquestionable, globally. Where Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami — who are probably playing their last World Cup — are in the race of being the topmost run scorer and top most wicket taker respectively, young bloods like Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana among others have already set new standards of cricket in India. Previously, India had also lost its maiden final in 2005 against Australia in South Africa. This time around the team is certainly willing to pour in all its energy to win a tributary title for the grace and face of Indian women's cricket — both Goswami and Mithali. Then again, it is not just about India. Other teams too are dying to make their presence felt. Another Asian team, Bangladesh has made it to their maiden World Cup journey. The performance of the new entrant will be a delight to watch. The third Asian team is Pakistan that has featured in five World Cups thus far and has finished fifth for its best in 2009. The remaining two teams are West Indies and South Africa. While South Africa has never made it to the finals, West Indies lost their lone chance, conceding to Australia its sixth title in 2013 World Cup, hosted by India. That was indeed a forgettable World Cup for India as well, which couldn't qualify beyond the group stage. As sport is becoming increasingly competitive these days, cricket fans expect cutting edge contests and players also give more than their best. More sharp contests are expected in this edition of the Women's World Cup. Australia has won six of the 11 World Cups concluded thus far, another four is won by England and the remaining one by New Zealand. While a similar trend was observed in men's cricket also, teams like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and South Africa have always been formidable competitors. As things stand today, the Indian men's team is among the most formidable teams in the world and is counted among top favourites in any ICC tournament. The same spectacle needs to be replicated in women's cricket as well. Afterall, sports are all about positive competitiveness. While the gameplay and talent of players is at the core of enhancing competitiveness, and hence popularity, of the women's World Cup, greater institutional support could work wonders. Without going much further, we have a textbook example of how a strong BCCI supplemented cricketing gems in Indian men's cricket to take the team to the pinnacle of the sport. The fact that the women's World Cup is slightly older than the men's World Cup should have made it a phenomenon. However, it is comparatively less talked about than the men's World Cup. It is not just about bringing in parity but also about giving spectators a complete package of fun and excitement. Reassuringly, cricketing boards even in Asian and African countries are now focusing on promoting women's cricket — almost in an organic fashion. As for the 2022 women's World Cup, a lot of fun and excitement is to unfold over the coming month. May the best of talents deliver their best in the tournament.