Women’s Ashes: Aussies keen to spread Test word and get more teams involved in red-ball cricket
Women’s Test matches have been confined to England v Australia for almost 15 years now. But hope is growing for more countries on the back of the success of the Ashes multi-formatted series.
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Australia quick Megan Schutt has called for women’s cricket to expand to include multi-formatted series between all major nations and the introduction of more Tests.
This week’s Ashes Test is just the eighth played in the women’s game this decade, while Australia has not played a team other than England in a Test since India in 2006.
However there is renewed hope with the multi-formatted series currently used to determine the overall winner of the Ashes.
Under the format, two points are awarded for three Twenty20 and three one-day matches, as well as six for the Test.
And Schutt said that same system needed to be implemented worldwide to spark a renaissance in the red-ball game.
“This multi-format Ashes series can be taken across the board,” Schutt said.
“Obviously it’s something the ICC control but I think there would be plenty of other nations that would be able to play Test cricket.
“It isn’t just us and England. New Zealand and India could definitely join the ranks. And even Pakistan, they performed well against South Africa.
“I’m sure they would froth at the chance to play Test cricket.
“We don’t know until we try. And unfortunately they aren’t really giving people the chance to try.”
It’s understood the biggest challenges would surround funding for teams outside of England and Australia, given the requirement for longer tours.
Former Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland two years ago knocked back the call for more Tests, stating his preference for the shorter formats.
But the female players are united in their want for more red-ball cricket.
And Schutt pointed to the possibility of how it could grow the women’s game in India, if the rivalry from the Border-Gavaskar trophy gave Australia the chance to secure a rare Test win in Asia.
“If it’s the one time you happen to play against India then you remember that Test match for a long time as the one we beat India,” she said.
“If we turned the Ashes which was just that Test match only into a multi-format, I don’t see why we can’t do it for others.
“It’s something we need to push for. I don’t think it will be in our game like the men’s, but we need to play more Test cricket.”
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