Picking squads for Women’s T20 Challenge a challenging first assignment: Neetu David

Newly appointed chairperson of selectors for the Indian Women’s Cricket team Neetu David has stated that picking squads for the upcoming Women’s T20 Challenge to be “a challenging first assignment” due to the that the COVID-19 pandemic has left players with little to no training. But she backed several “exciting India prospects” to make a […]
 
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Picking squads for Women’s T20 Challenge a challenging first assignment: Neetu David

Newly appointed chairperson of selectors for the Indian Women’s Cricket team Neetu David has stated that picking squads for the upcoming Women’s T20 Challenge to be “a challenging first assignment” due to the that the COVID-19 pandemic has left players with little to no training. But she backed several “exciting India prospects” to make a mark in the three-team competition, to be played in the UAE from November 1 to 10.

David spoke to ESPNCricinfo soon after her appointment as chairperson, saying, “These are, of course, unprecedented times; the pandemic has made any cricket close to impossible in India at the moment. It’s not an ideal pre-tournament situation for any team, in any sport, in any country, so when it comes to selecting the squads for the Women’s T20 Challenge, it’s going to be a challenging first assignment of sorts, but it’s not impossible to pick promising lesser-known players.

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“We are awaiting guidelines from the BCCI on how the board expects us to proceed. The players are mentally ready and eager to get back on the field, they have been training in their respective towns. And having known and played with some of my fellow selectors in this panel, and also given Mithu Mukherjee has formerly been a national selector, we are looking forward to working as a team and introducing new players from our current domestic pool, who we think are exciting India prospects. They have the potential to do well in the T20 Challenge.”

David was hopeful that the new selection panel would be able to build on the work of the previous panel. India finished as runners-up in the 2017 ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup earlier this earlier during their tenure. With two World Cups and a Commonwealth Games slated for 2022, much of the new committee’s focus would be on putting together squads that take the next step of winning a World Cup.

Picking squads for Women’s T20 Challenge a challenging first assignment: Neetu David

India finished runners-up in the 2017 Women’s World Cup and then the T20 World Cup held earlier this year

“We do well up to the final, but have not been able to get over the final hurdle yet – that’s something we need to find a solution to,” David said. “We are looking to work on the mental resilience and temperament aspect of our upcoming squads, and we’ll work with the board, coaches, players, and captains to make sure that we put systems in place that helps us overcome that final barrier. We will look to go one better in the next major events.

Picking squads for Women’s T20 Challenge a challenging first assignment: Neetu David

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While David spoke of becoming world champions in senior cricket, her colleague, Arati Vaidya expressed hope that India would do well in age-group global tournaments going forward too.

“The more new talent we unearth, the better the health of the national team and domestic cricket will be,” she told ESPNcricinfo. “I can tell you that the age-group players we have at the moment, we can surely be in the final of the [inaugural] Under-19 World Cup for girls – whether it goes ahead on schedule next year or is postponed.

“My career as a match referee has helped me get a glimpse of many uncapped players, and from what I have seen, I am hopeful we will do well, and if other things fall into place, we might even win the title. India doesn’t lack talent; it’s just that more systems need to be put in to place to unearth and nurture those talents. As a selection committee, we will, therefore, try to get the best talent we can from all zones.”