ECB Hope India’s Women Cricketers Will Play in The Hundred: Report
In December, the BCCI’s top 3 , Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah and Arun Dhumal, were in London to meet ECB counterparts.
The England Cricket Board is currently in talks with their Indian counterparts about the participation of some Indian women cricketers in the inaugural edition of The Hundred.
ESPNcricinfo reported that the ECB is currently engaged in discussions with the BCCI about allowing such a move. The BCCI however is understood to be against the male cricketers being part of The Hundred.
Indian women cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana have earlier taken part in England's T20 Kia Super League.
A few India internationals, such as Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, have expressed an interest in the Hundred, however, the BCCI exercises tight control in terms of granting permissions to play in limited-overs tournaments overseas. Skipper Virat Kohli, India's captain, even questioned the need to "experiment" with a new format.
Harbhajan had in fact put his name forward during the first draft of The men’s Hundred in October but he subsequently withdrew after it was suggested he would have to retire from international competition - and potentially forego an IPL contract - if he wanted to be considered.
Last year, the ECB said that Indian male cricketers were unlikely to be part of The Hundred.
"I can't commit to the involvement of India players," Tom Harrison, the ECB's chief executive, said. "It's a political conversation as much as anything."
In December, the BCCI's top three, Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah and Arun Dhumal, were in London to meet ECB counterparts.
ESPNCricinfo also said that the BCCI was open to considering the ECB's request of looking into Indian women participating in the women's leg of the Hundred, but since then there has been no firm decision taken on that front. "We have had discussions on county cricket and women players might be allowed," a senior BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo.
With regards to the men participating in The Hundred, the BCCI stand firmly against it as that would hurt the IPL, feel BCCI.
The BCCI official also reportedly pointed out that with the Future Tours Programme planned in advance, players could be at risk of missing bilateral events, which is another stream of revenue the BCCI heavily relies on.
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