New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) Former India captain Anjum Chopra has said the shadow women’s ‘A’ tour running alongside the senior team’s Women’s T20 World Cup campaign in England, coupled with recent Centre of Excellence (CoE) coaching appointments, is a reflection of the BCCI’s systematic planning.
Anushka Sharma, who made her T20I debut on the South Africa tour in April, will lead India ‘A’ for the three T20s against England ‘A’. The matches will be played in Northampton on June 20 and 23, followed by the third fixture in Chelmsford on June 25. Harleen Deol will lead the team in the three one‑dayers beginning June 28 in Hove and Taunton.
The 16‑year‑old Deeya Yadav, who was with the Delhi Capitals in WPL before an injury ruled her out, has also been picked in the T20 squad. “Let’s just say that the entire top brass of Indian cricket players from India A, B, men and women are in the UK playing a series over there. From June onwards till the end of July, everybody who plays cricket in India at the India senior and A level is actually going to be there in the UK.
“So, it’s a good thing, which is a very nice and important aspect as well, because consider the fact that if somebody gets injured, you can just get in a quick replacement if needed. That is the biggest plus over here when you are playing shadow tours. Also, the players you are talking about are good prospects.
“Whether it is Nikki Prasad, Anushka Sharma, Shabnam Shakil and anyone else, they get valuable outing and match experience and international cricket-like experience when they play on all these tours,” Anjum told IANS in an exclusive conversation on Friday.
G. Kamalini and Uma Chetry have been included in both squads as wicketkeeper-batters along with left‑arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who debuted for India last year. Pratika Rawal will serve as vice‑captain in the 50-over games, while Karnataka batter Vrinda Dinesh has been named as Anushka’s deputy in the T20s.
“So, right now, for the women players, I guess the sky is very open. What you make of the opportunities is in your own hands because earlier, there were no A tours. Now, wherever the Indian team is playing, I think 6, 8, or even 12 months prior or like now, simultaneously as the Indian senior women team is there, the shadow tour is there, which is a great thing to happen.
“I feel this is actually a compliment for our cricket board because they are able to organise such matches as well on a continuous basis. It’s not that one tour will go to Bangladesh, and the Indian senior team will go to England. No, it’s not like that, as it’s very well planned.
“If India have to go and play in South Africa, there will be an India ‘A’ tour, something which would have happened probably 10 or 12 months earlier. So, it’s a nice time to be a cricketer as well, and how our cricket association plans it out, I think it’s kudos to them too,” added Anjum.
She also welcomed the appointment of former India players, two-time U19 World Cup-winning head coach Nooshin Al Khadeer, Sunetra Paranjpe and Vanitha VR into the CoE setup, saying their absorption into the system was both timely and deserved.
IANS had previously reported on May 14 about the trio’s appointment at the CoE, and it is understood they are mainly needed for being with the U19 women’s team, who are set to play white-ball games against Sri Lanka from June 22 to July 6 in Chennai and Puducherry, respectively.
“It’s good – Nooshin has been around with the Under-19 team since 2023 or maybe since the preparation started. So, she has been around with the Under-19 team and knows the drill. It’s nice that Sunetra has also joined, and Vanitha has also taken part.
“Look, people who want to make a career in this coaching field, and when they get absorbed at the CoE, it means that they have obviously passed all the tests and the requisite reasons, or probably the areas in which they need to be perfectly fit in that CoE coaching setup.
“So, whatever the requirements are, if they have fulfilled those, then absolutely divine for them, and they should get a chance because over there as well, they will learn from the male coaches. They will see how the Under-19 men cricketers are playing, how they are preparing, and how the international men cricketers are preparing.
“Obviously, all this information gets passed on to the women’s players, and I hope it does and that information is shared. But it’s always nice to have people who are wanting to make a career in the field of coaching getting this opportunity,” concluded Anjum.
–IANS
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