Call it an effect of cash-rich Women Premier League (WPL), equal pay parity or the recent success of Vidarbha's women BCCI tournaments. Record number of girls attended the two-day cricket selection trials organised by the sports department of RTM Nagpur University at Dr Ambedkar College ground, Deekshabhoomi, on Thursday.
Experts in the field of cricket and university said around 70 girls for the trials was record turnout. The trials have been organised to select the RTM Nagpur University team for All India Inter-University Cricket Tournament to be held at Bhubaneswar from March 10.
Speaking with Lokmat Times vice-principal of Dr Ambedkar College Dr Arvind Joshi said, "BCCI has done a wonderful thing for women's cricket by launching Women Premier League and introducing pay parity. It has helped in attracting young girls to cricket. In my life for the first time I have seen so many girls attending university trials. This is an encouraging sign. We are also pondering whether to launch special batches for girls in our cricket academy."
University selector Prashant Bambal credits Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA ) for attracting girls towards cricket. "In the past few years, VCA has taken a lot of steps for the development of girls' cricket. They organised the camps and selection trials in different age groups. Their approach has also helped the university," he said.
Bambal added, "Earlier only 20 to 25 girls used to attend the trials but today around 70 turned up and that is an encouraging sign."
Parents supporting girls
Nowadays parents are also supporting girls in making a career in cricket. Take the example of Under-15 spinner Yashashri Soley who originally belonged to Khamgaon in Buldhana district. After her fabulous performance in the inaugural edition of BCCI Under-15 tournament in which Vidarbha entered the final, her parents decided to shift to Nagpur. Her father told Lokmat Times, "As Khamgaon lacks training facilities for girls, we decided to shift to Nagpur and enroll Yashashri in one of the academies. At present, she is attending VCA camp."
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"Earlier there was not much money and facilities for women cricketers. Now, particularly after 2017 World Cup, BCCI is doing a lot for women's cricket and Women Premier League (WPL) is the icing on the cake. The girls are getting a lot of motivation and exposure from it and I am confident in future the strength will increase and girls will do better."
Kanchan Nagwani
Vidarbha spinner