New Zealand all-rounder Suzie Bates has batted for a Women's Indian Premier League (IPL), saying it will help in elevating the stature of the women's game and it will help in the overall growth of all cricketers.
In an interaction withfacilitated by Amazon Prime Video, Bates opened up on her expectations from the upcoming Women's 50-over World Cup, favourites for the World Cup and how soon a Women's IPL should really be started.
"I think every international women's cricketer will be a supporter of the Women's IPL. Before COVID-19, they did start with the exhibition matches, it was an absolute pleasure to be part of those. I would love to see a Women's IPL start and it will present the opportunity to women cricketers to play in front of Indian fans," said Bates.
"I think for the Indian women's team, it will also help their depth which they have started to grow and as a player, so exciting to see franchise cricket getting going. Women's IPL is a key tournament that is missing in the women's game," she added.
The upcoming Women's World Cup will get underway on March 4, 2022, at the Bay Oval in Tauranga, with the hosts New Zealand taking on West Indies in the tournament opener. Before the tournament, New Zealand (White Ferns) will lock horns against India in one T20I and five ODIs, beginning February 9.
"Yeah, absolutely. There is no hiding from the fact that a home World Cup brings extra pressure as the nation wants you to do well. We have talked about that as a group and I guess we are excited about the opportunity. None of us have played in a home World Cup in New Zealand. We are excited about it and we are not too worried about the pressure that comes along with it," said Bates.
"We could not have asked for better preparation. We have played England and Australia recently, two of the best teams in the world, but it is nice to have a chance with India. They have played the last two World Cup finals, excited to play them in our home conditions. Having five ODIs leading up to a World Cup is perfect in my opinion. We know we are going to be challenged in every area of the game," added the 34-year-old.
Talking about the favourites for the upcoming World Cup, the all-rounder opined: "As much as it hurts me to say it, hard-looking past Australia and you know, they had not done as well as they would have liked to in 2017. They won the T20 World Cup 2020 and they have players who love playing in New Zealand so they are going to be one of the favourites."
When asked about her views on Mithali Raj, Bates said: "Mithali Raj is a legend of the game. My first series was against India and I will never forget it. Mithali Raj was one of the greatest players I had seen playing live and her longevity is inspirational for me. Her ability to churn out runs constantly is great. Mithali and Jhulan Goswami are legends of the game. They have a legacy with them and I am sure I will catch up with them.
Amazon Prime Video will debut Live cricket streaming on January 1, 2022, after multiple years of being India's most loved entertainment destination.
"I just think having Indian series on Amazon prime is going to present an opportunity for the fans to access women's cricket and we will get more and more followers. We have already seen the difference between televising ICC tournaments and franchise cricket. I probably would have to say that I love both the documentaries on the Australian cricket team on the platform because I love cricket. It is just fascinating to see behind the scenes footage from a cricket team," Bates signed off.
( With inputs from ANI )
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