WOMEN’S VOL 1 | ISSUE 1 | 2019 WWW.WOMENSCRICZONE.COM LOOKING AHEAD: LISA STHALEKAR ON THE 2020 T20 THE WORLD CUP WIDENING GAP Adam Collins on Australia’s dominance RAF NICHOLSON On the need to revive Test cricket CONFIDENCE & CHARISMA An exclusive interview with India’s golden girl, Smriti Mandhana. BILLION-AIR AEROSPACE NOW CHOOSE TO TRAVEL HASSLE-FREE CHARTER SERVICE IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE: A SUBSIDIARY OF MILLION GROUP OF COMPANIES 501, Rahul Capital, Prabhat Road, Pune - 411 004. Group of Companies For Enquiries: +91 9607100033 | Email: [email protected] PG 56_Billion64_Billion14_Billion AirAerospace.indd Advt.indd 2 1 5/29/20181/22/201926-04-2019 1:48:532:25:23 11:58:25 PMAM PUBLISHER’S NOTE would like to briefly share with me to meet Sidhanta Patnaik, who has you the story behind the creation of unparalleled knowledge about the Women’s CricZone, so that you may women’s game and other stakeholders. understand its context and history I found that we had a similar vision, before you dive in. and requested him to come on board. My interest in cricket is just like That was when things really took off… Iany other Indian kid. I first watched a The first giant step in our relentless women’s cricket match in 2009 when quest to connect the game with the fans England faced New Zealand in the was taken when we toured Sri Lanka finals of the World Cup. After that, I to cover India’s tour in September had always tried to follow as much 2018. Subsequently, we grew bolder women’s cricket as possible through and braver when we covered the ICC every source of media I could find: Women’s T20 World Cup from the from TV to newspaper to the internet. Caribbean, and then steadily added However, one thing was always more reputed journalists in our evident— the quality, quantity, and editorial team to cover every series frequency of the content made available around the globe. wasn’t enough. For us, publishing Women’s CricZone The 2017 Women’s World Cup Magazine— the first magazine of its For us, publishing in England was a pathbreaking kind— has been a natural progression tournament not only for India, but to our digital arsenal. First, we tried Women’s CricZone it was the shot in the arm to all the to connect the fans with the game and Magazine has been a nations across the world. It meant they now, we plan to make the elites and the natural progression. understood the need to channelize their stakeholders a huge part of it. efforts in organizing and promoting I would like to thank my Editor First we tried to women’s cricket. in Chief Sidhanta Patnaik, Magazine connect the fans It is around that time that Women’s Editor Ananya Upendran, Smriti CricZone took shape as a media portal. Mandhana, advisors, sponsors, the with the game, As an avid cricket fan, I was keen entire women’s cricket fraternity, ICC and now we want that the rest of the world gain easy and lastly but importantly BCCI for all to make the elites access to information regarding their support in making this magazine women’s cricket. Since I wasn’t quite take a real shape. and stakeholders sure what could be done, my friends a part of it. and well-wishers encouraged us to launch a website and a social media handle giving updates on the game. A dedicated effort to develop the Yash Lahoti coverage of the women’s cricket led E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @YvLahoti www.womenscriczone.com 5 FROM THE EDITOR TAKING CENTRESTAGE y earliest memories of watching the women’s game. “The game needs a women’s cricket on television voice,” he told me during my first few are from 2003, when Maia months at Wisden India. “It is our job to try Lewis’ New Zealand toured and give it that voice— cover every aspect, India for one Test and five ODIs. from multiple angles. We have a chance MI didn’t watch the Test— I don’t even know to bring about a change. We can grow the if it was televised— but I saw every single game.” For someone who doesn’t hold a one-day game on DD Sports. stake in the sport, it amazed me how much, A year later, when Australia toured India and how deeply he thought about ways It took a great deal of ahead of the 2005 Women’s World Cup in to improve the standards and coverage of work to put this magazine South Africa, I followed the games again— women’s cricket. together. Working on a this time a little more keenly because I had From covering matches in far corners very tight schedule made just started playing competitive cricket. The of the country to being in the Lord’s press it feel like everything was day after every game I would pore over the box for a World Cup final— Sidhanta has going at super speed. Late newspaper searching for a sign that the the seen his fair share of matches and ticked nights, early mornings, country knew the women were playing. off a number of milestones. His unbridled endless hours of staring Sometimes, I found a 150-200-word article passion for the game was the reason for at a computer screen and with brief scores at the bottom— that was a Women’s CricZone the development of as many, many discussions best case scenario. a website, and he is also the reason for the later, we finally made it! In 2013, when India hosted the ICC creation and launch of this magazine. Women’s World Cup in Mumbai, the Back in 2004 when I scanned through A huge thank you to situation was much the same— token every newspaper searching for news on everyone involved in the coverage, but this time, with the odd picture. women’s cricket, all I wanted to do was creation of this magazine— Through the tournament, there were, at find a way to make the world aware of the contributors, best, a couple of Indian journalists in the the women’s game. To be involved in the advertisers, advisors, Cricket Club of India press box. Far more publication of this magazine is a dream design team, and the had covered the Ranji Trophy final at the come true. It wouldn’t have been possible entire WCZ family. And to Wankhede Stadium that ended only a day without Sidhanta, who unwittingly became you, our readers, we hope before the women’s tournament began. something of a mentor to me, and his you enjoy the content. Four years later, upon their return from influence and commitment to the women’s England, the Indian team were greeted in game infuses these pages. the middle of the night at the airport by Although the women are still jostling hundreds of cheering fans and dozens of for space in the media, they have firmly eager journalists. After the 2017 World Cup carved out their place in the public it seemed the women’s game had finally imagination. Women’s CricZone is meant to found its own identity. be a celebration of all the people involved Through this period of transition, there in the women’s game— their time waiting have been a few constant voices. Sidhanta in the wings is done. Now they must take Patnaik, one of only three Indian journalists centre stage. in the press box during the World Cup final at Lord’s, was one of them. After years of dedicatedly covering women’s cricket, he was now seeing it blossom into something bigger and better. Ananya Upendran Long before that change happened, E-mail: [email protected] Sidhanta was trying to do his bit to promote Twitter: @a_upendran11 www.womenscriczone.com 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS WOMEN’S CRICZONE MAGAZINE email: [email protected] website: www.womenscriczone.com PUBLISHER Yash Lahoti EDITORIAL 05 42 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PUBLISHER’S NOTE Sidhanta Patnaik BEYOND THE BOUNDARY 34 - Yash Lahoti MAGAZINE EDITOR DRIVING THE FUTURE OF Ananya Upendran WOMEN’S CRICKET IN THE OUTPOSTS - ART DIRECTOR Karunya Keshav Jittendra Chillal 07 PHOTOGRAPHER FROM THE EDITOR Ryan Martis Ananya Upendran CONTRIBUTORS 44 Adam Collins FROM BACKYARD TO BIG LEAGUES: Anuja Dalvi Anand Date 10 MAKING THE JUMP FROM DOMESTIC TO Marina Iqbal THE OPENER INTERNATIONAL CRICKET - Frances Mackay, Karuna Jain Karunya Keshav A CASE FOR THE REVIVAL Karuna Jain, Marin Iqbal John Leather OF TEST CRICKET - Raf Nicholson Frances Mackay Reema Malhotra Kass Naidoo Raf Nicholson Lisa Sthalekar 14 50 Rama Subramanian (Quiz) AUSTRALIA: STANDARD BEARER FOR ATHLETICISM: A GAME-CHANGER THE WORLD - Adam Collins ADVISORY BOARD FOR WOMEN’S CRICKET IN CONSULTING EDITOR INDIA - Anuja Dalvi, Anand Date Sunandan Lele LEGAL ADVISOR 20 Adv. Dr. Chinmay S. Bhosale FROM THE ARCHIVES ADVISORS BEST OF WOMEN’S CRICZONE WEBSITE Abhishek Kulkarni Kailash Mundada Kamal Rungta Vineet Patni Vinit Deo 24 COVER STORY ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS ‘IF YOU SCORE, PEOPLE WILL ADVERTISING MANAGER Akshay Mhaskar RESPECT YOU’ - Ananya Upendran [email protected] Published by BREAKING BOUNDARIES PVT LTD 34 202, Posiview Consulting Partners Pvt Ltd, Chintamani Pride Building, Near City Pride, NUMBERS GAME Kothrud, Pune, Maharashtra, India – 411038 DECODING THE NUMBERS Phone: +91 8698698008. BEHIND THE BATTING REVOLUTION - email: [email protected] John Leather 34 8 www.womenscriczone.com 54 IN THE FRAME 70 PHOTO SECTION 62 OPINION INDIA IS READY FOR A WOMEN’S IPL - Reema Malhotra 66 PERSPECTIVE NOTHING BEATS LIVE TV COVERAGE - Kass Naidoo 70 ROUND-UP THE WOMEN TO WATCH - Shweta Haranhalli 74 THE YEAR AT A GLANCE: SERIES SUMMARIES 76 LOOKING AHEAD 2020 WOMEN’S T20 WORLD CUP: AUSTRALIA READIES ITSELF - Lisa Sthalekar 82 SUPER OVER QUIZ: TESTING TIMES - Rama Subrahmanian 24 www.womenscriczone.com 9 THE OPENER A CASE FOR THE REVIVAL OF TEST CRICKET PHOTOGRAPHS: DON MILES Before it becomes a mere pastime of yesteryear, consigned to the dustbin of history, it is important that the ICC revives women’s Test cricket— a format that most players believe is the pinnacle of the game.