Renowned fast-bowler Jhulan Goswami has emphasized the importance of appointing a long-term head coach for the senior India women's cricket team, considering the two upcoming global tournaments. Goswami believes that stability and continuity are crucial factors, especially with the T20 World Cup scheduled in Bangladesh in 2024 and the ODI World Cup in India in 2025.
The India women's team has been without a head coach since Ramesh Powar was moved to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in December 2022. Despite the absence of a head coach, the team managed to reach the semifinals of the T20 World Cup earlier this year in South Africa, with Hrishikesh Kanitkar serving as the batting coach.
"The next two years are going to be crucial, with two major ICC events lined up: the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2024 and the ODI World Cup in India in 2025. It is important that we appoint a head coach for a longer period of time and not chop and change frequently," stated Jhulan, as quoted by Sportstar.
Goswami, who holds the record for the most wickets in women's international cricket, emphasized that building a team takes time and a coach's role becomes pivotal ahead of significant tournaments. Frequent changes in coaching staff can lead to confusion among players. Jhulan supports the idea of a long-term coach and believes that players and coaching staff should be on the same page.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had invited applications for the role of India women's head coach, with a deadline of May 10 for submissions.
Jhulan also expressed her delight with the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL), which she won as the bowling coach and mentor of the Mumbai Indians. She believes the tournament was a turning point for women's cricket in India and calls for a permanent window for the competition, allowing players and teams more time to prepare for the five-team event.
"I am sure the BCCI will eventually look at a dedicated window for the WPL so that it attracts more players and also gives them a chance to shape up well. This time, the franchises did not get much time to scout talents, but from the next season on, the scenario will change," she added.
Jhulan also praised the introduction of U-15 and U-23 tournaments in the domestic women's cricket calendar, considering them as steps in the right direction to identify and nurture talented young cricketers. The U-23 tournament, in particular, bridges the gap between age-group and international cricket, providing players with more opportunities and giving the WPL scouts additional options.
With the senior India women's cricket team preparing for significant tournaments, the appointment of a long-term head coach and the continued development of domestic cricket structures are crucial steps in nurturing talent and achieving success at the international level.