A lot of preparatory work was put in by the Indian team think-tank in enhancing the fitness and fielding departments ahead of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. But it did not produce the desired results, as India once again was found lacking in these departments.
In the T20 World Cup, where India made a group-stage exit, they dropped nine catches in four games, apart from misfields galore. Richa Ghosh was also not at her sharpest best as a wicket-keeper and gave away lots of byes too. Seeing the fluctuating standard of fitness and fielding for the umpteenth time in a world event left former India captain Anjum Chopra unimpressed.
“For last 35 years, I’ve been hearing this fitness and fielding (is a work in progress). If you’ve not improved this as of now, then I don’t know who needs to be questioned and how we need to address this because when I came into this Indian setup, when we were obviously not under the BCCI, we used to say, ‘Oh, we’ve got limited facilities and we are still improving our fitness and fielding’. Again, we are hearing that we are having a fitness and fielding camp (before World Cup).”
“Aren’t they supposed to be in a given scenario that once you’ve an elite sportsperson, you’re supposed to be working on your fitness? Isn’t it a given that you have to be a good fielder? Isn’t it a given that you have to pass those fitness tests? If we have to still focus on it, I understand you can focus on it, batting, bowling, fielding, everything, and all-around development.”
“But if I’m hearing the same lines, which probably when I was a youngster coming into the team till the time I played and still I’m hearing those same lines, which definitely goes on to show that, you don’t come into an Indian setup and become a fit cricketer,” said Anjum in an exclusive conversation with IANS from Dubai.
She also thinks onus is on players to become better in fitness and fielding when they become a part of the Indian team. “You learn fitness through your growing up years and you become better as you grow. That’s actually supposed to be the way to go. It’s not that you become the fittest when you’re 20 and you lose your fitness when you’re 30 or something. I know it’s a very conscious progression. You only become better and better. That’s exactly what you’re supposed to be doing.”
“But if that is not happening, then I won’t even say that before you get into the Indian team, I will probably question state teams. Like, why are they not fit when they’re playing for their state? Before they aspire to get into an India A team, are they really their skill level wise and fitness and fielding wise?”
“If not, then why are they coming into an Indian team setup and then learning all these nuances? So it’s a players thing. It’s nothing to do with the board or people around who are handling them. It’s an individual skill to handle. If I want to become a better fielder, I want to become a better fielder. People around me will not feel I only have to go and catch that ball.”
“Whether it’s taking 100 catches or 500 catches a day or a week, that is a skill which I can become better and better each day. There is nobody who can stop me from becoming a better fielder. There are things and ways to work out on your individual aspects of the game. Cricket in totality provides you that big platter on which you can keep improving your skills throughout as your season progresses.”
The 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup also marked just the fourth instance of an Asian team not entering the knockout stages after 2012, 2014 and 2016 editions of the competition. Anjum questioned if the Asian teams are doing the right things and putting in enough efforts to challenge other nations.
“I’m not even talking about England or Australia or New Zealand. Let’s forget, let’s keep Australia on a different tangent altogether. What about the other teams? Wasn’t there an effort from the West Indies after they lost to South Africa in the first game? How they’ve turned things around.”
“They’ve lost to Stafanie Taylor due to injury, but other players decided to step up. Yes, it was probably one of the best knocks that Qiana Joseph would have played at the World Cup, but it came out of a crunch situation. Then you’d require that when you’re having to beat a former World Cup winning quality side.”
“South Africa as well, they were in India. They gave us around run for our money in the ODIs and T20Is. It was a tight game, but after that they lost a couple of series as well or at least didn’t have a very great series. But look when they come into the World Cup, how they are.”
“They are also preparing. If we start preparing and improving at our own pace, we might just be falling behind, which we are. This World Cup result is a great example that whatever we are preparing, we are not preparing quickly enough.”
She signed off by saying India needs to pick themselves and tighten up for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup on home soil. “We knew New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan – either of the teams would have given us a run for our money. It happened in the very first game. For others, we became a lot more aware. But that’s the way it will always remain. We’ll always have these teams around us.”
“The 10-team tournament will always have a competition or a challenge coming from either of the teams. It’s never going to be like minnows who will come around and we can beat them, go to the next level, then the next level, but lose one match and then still make it to the semi-finals. It’s not going to be like that. Women’s cricket teams have improved, and the result is in front of us.”
“This challenge will always keep coming at us. It happened in the ODI World Cup in 2022. Same was the case in 2023 and 2024 T20 World Cups, and it will happen again in 2025 ODI World Cup. Asia Cup also, there was a challenge. So we can’t take a step back and play ordinary cricket. We need to obviously tighten ourselves and improve ourselves individually.”
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