London, 10 June 2009
ICC World Twenty20 coaches say people who haven’t seen much women’s cricket are in for a major shock with how far the game has progressed
Cricket fans unfamiliar with the women’s game who give the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2009 tournament a look-in should prepare themselves for a major shock, according to all the coaches at the event.
"I was certainly amazed by the quality of the women’s play when I first saw them last year," says England assistant coach Jack Birkenshaw today, on the eve of the start of the event.
"I couldn’t believe it when I saw some of the England girls like Katherine Brunt and Jenny Gunn whizzing in the ball 60 yards flat. They’re very fit and athletic and – they won’t mind me saying this – they throw like blokes. And then there’s Lydia Greenway – she’s a terrific fielder. She’s great at point, she can sweep… in fact, she can catch pigeons."
The former England spinner’s views are universally shared. Sherwin Campbell, the former West Indies batsman who is coaching the women’s West Indies team at the WT20, said he had also been caught out.
"I had been working with the Barbados under-19s and the men’s senior team and I got a call saying they wanted somebody to work with the women. I wasn’t too sure at first.
"But we had a 30-player camp in Barbados and I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know they had so much talent. It’s more than that, though – they are so eager and their attitudes are so good. They want to learn so much."
The ICC has ensured maximum coverage for the women’s tournament by staging the men and women’s semi-finals and finals as double-headers. That will give the women an ideal chance to showcase their skills before sell-out crowds.
Australia coach Richard McInnes is in the perfect position to compare the men and women’s games after been the performance analyst for the Australian men between 2005 and 2008.
"I had done a bit of work with them back in 2002 but I was pleasantly surprised about how far the game had moved on from then to now," said McInnes. "The skill level is very good. Obviously the power isn’t the same as the men, but the skill level is comparable, as is the fielding.
"They have good arms and hit the stumps as often as the guys from all sorts of angles."
Birkenshaw, indeed, takes it one step further. "You could take several of our best fielders and put them on as substitutes in a men’s Test match and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference," he says.
"It’s just a matter of exposure. People now watch women’s golf and tennis without a second thought, so why not cricket? We’re here to win the event, of course. But we also really want a Lord’s final that people really enjoy because it is good watching. We want to serve up some terrific women’s cricket where the ball is hit to all parts of the field. We want a game that gets close to a guys’ game.
"We want people to say ‘I can’t believe the women can play like this.’ That would be fantastic."
ICC MEDIA RELEASE