Harman could be summoned by COA
NEW DELHI: The Committee of Administrators (COA) could summon India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj following Raj’s controversial omission for the World T20 semifinal loss against England. According to a BCCI official, Mithali might put across her view in writing to GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim.
“It is understood that a meeting will be held soon here and COA is likely to speak separately to Harmanpreet, Mithali, Ramesh (coach Ramesh Powar), manager Trupti Bhattacharya and tour selector Sudha Shah to understand what led to Mithali’s omission,” a senior BCCI official said on conditions of anonymity.
“The comments made by people who appear to be associated with the Indian women’s team have been viewed with concern. Such statements made in the media are totally uncalled for,” COA chief Vinod Rai said on Sunday, referring to a tweet from Anisha Gupta — Mithali’s agent — who had called Harmanpreet “cheat, liar and undeserving” in a tweet that was later deleted.
KAUR NAMED WORLD XI SKIPPER
Dubai:harmanpreet Kaur was on Sunday named captain of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 XI, which also featured opener Smriti Mandhana and leg-spinner Poonam Yadav.
RAJ EXCLUSION NOT SURPRISING: SOURAV
KOLKATA: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is not surprised at the decision to drop Mithali Raj for the semi-final.
“No! I also have also sat in the dug out after captaining India. When I saw Mithali Raj being dropped, I said ‘Welcome to the group’,” Ganguly said at Tollygunge Club here.
“Captains are asked to sit, so just do it. I have done it in Faisalabad. I didn’t play an ODI game for 15 months when I was probably the best performer in one-day cricket. It happens in life. The best in the world are at times shown the door,” he said. NORTH SOUND (ANTIGUA): Allrounder Ashleigh Gardner starred with bat and ball as Australia cruised to an eight-wicket victory over England in the final of the Women’s World T20 in Antigua on Saturday. Gardner and teenage leg-spinner Georgia Wareham combined for five wickets to restrict the English to 105 all out off 19.4 overs after they had chosen to bat first.
Gardner then featured in an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 62 with captain Meg Lanning as the Aussies reached the target with almost five overs to spare to lift their fourth World T20 crown. Given her significant contributions in both innings the 21-year-old was the obvious choice as “Player of the Match.”
The “Player of the Series” honour was also a predictable selection with opener and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy taking the title although the final represented her least accomplished performance.
After winning three consecutive “Player of the Match” honours in Australia’s group matches in Guyana, Healy dropped England topscorer Danielle Wyatt in the third over of the final off seamer Ellyse Perry.
Wyatt contributed a breezy 43 off 37 balls to her team’s effort but only England captain Heather Knight managed any other score of note in getting to 25 as wickets continued to tumble around her.
Gardner dismissed both Wyatt and Knight with her off-spinners and added the scalp of tailender Anya Shrubsole to finish with the impressive figures of three for 22.
She was ably supported by Wareham, the 19-year-old accounting for Lauren Winfield and Sophia Dunkley off successive deliveries and conceding just 11 runs in three excellent overs.
Wareham also made amends for some surprisingly shoddy Australian outcricket by running out England’s “Player of the Match” from the semi-final against India, Amy Jones, with a direct hit to the non-striker’s end.
Anychanceofenglanddefending such a modest total depended on removing Healy cheaply. She was bowled by Ecclestone for 22 — her lowest score of the tournament — and although opening partner Beth Mooney departed shortly after, caught at the wicket off Danielle Hazell, Gardner and Lanning ensured the result was never in doubt.
Australia were also declared as the hosts of the newly renamed ICC T20 World Cup in 2020, meaning they will organise both the women’s and men’s meets.
Brief scores: Australia 106/2 in 15.1 ovs (A Gardner 33*, M Lanning 28*) bt England 105 all out in 19.4 ovs (D Wyatt 43, A Gardner 3/22) by 8 wkts.