England’s Tammy Beaumont quashes women’s WTC idea

Tammy Beaumont. (Photo Source: Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

In a recent discussion around the World Test Championship for women’s cricket, Smriti Mandhana, India’s vice-captain, expressed enthusiasm for the idea. However, England’s seasoned player, Tammy Beaumont, raised concerns about its fairness due to the limited participation of teams in women’s Test cricket. Unlike men’s cricket, which has seen the World Test Championship in its third cycle, women’s cricket lacks a similar global tournament.

The discrepancy stems from only a few countries regularly engaging in Test matches, primarily England, Australia, and India. This disparity highlights the need for more inclusivity in women’s Test cricket. Presently, the women’s Ashes remains the primary multi-format series, where Test victories earn four points, while wins in limited-overs matches collect two points each.

“At the moment it is only three or four nations playing Test match cricket regularly, and potentially only three or four governing bodies who can afford to host women’s Test cricket. It would have to be a very big investment from the ICC that I don’t think they are probably willing to put in to. They’re still trying to develop the T20 game across the globe, the way you’ve seen Thailand and other teams coming into T20 cricket, that should be focus,” Beaumont said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

More nations should do multi-format series like Ashes: Beaumont

In events such as Ashes, the overall series winner is determined after all matches are completed, promoting competitiveness as points are at stake in every game. Beaumont emphasised the importance of more multi-format bilateral series, suggesting they could aid teams in adapting to the demands of Test cricket. With only a handful of nations regularly participating in women’s Test matches, fostering opportunities for more teams to engage in this format emerges as a crucial aspect of the conversation.

“I would love to see more nations do the multi-format series like the Ashes – say India come over and we do Test match, ODIs and T20s and an overall winner from that and do the same with South Africa, New Zealand all those and build it from there,” she added.