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NZ stars call for cooperation to avoid clashes

Separate windows required to ensure this year's COVID-related clash between the WBBL and India's T20 Challenge remains a one-off

Brisbane Heat’s star overseas recruits Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green have called on cricket boards to work together to prevent future clashes between domestic T20 leagues as the women’s game continues to grow.

Earlier this week, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced its Women’s T20 Challenge – a three-team, four-game round robin – would be held in the UAE during the men’s Indian Premier League finals in early November.

With the sixth edition of the Rebel WBBL scheduled to run from October 17 to November 29, the clashing schedules will prevent the world’s biggest stars from appearing in both competitions.

It is likely to be a one-off situation, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic saw the men’s IPL season pushed back from its usual April-May window.

This will be the third time the BCCI has staged women’s exhibition matches and on both previous occasions, they were played alongside the men’s IPL finals.

"From my point of view all the players around the world want to be part of those tournaments," New Zealand batter Green said on Wednesday, after it was revealed both she and Kerr had re-signed with the Heat for WBBL|06.

"We’ve seen the progression of women’s cricket since the WBBL has been in place and it would be great to see different windows open for the Hundred, the IPL and the WBBL.

"Obviously it’s a challenge trying to find time considering what’s been going on with COVID-19 so it seems unfortunate this year that it’s a clash but hopefully next year separate windows open up for all three tournaments."

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The WBBL has been widely acknowledged as the world’s leading domestic T20 competition since its launch in 2015, with England introducing their Super League one year later before they last year announced that would be replaced by The Hundred.

Many players see a fully-fledged Women’s IPL as the missing piece of the puzzle.

Teenage leg-spin sensation Kerr, who appeared in the 2019 edition of India’s T20 Challenge, said it was critical for the tournaments to be held separately from each other in the future.

"It is a shame it’s scheduled at the same time as the Big Bash, it was meant to be played earlier this year (but got postponed)," Kerr said on Wednesday.

"Hopefully in the next year or so the women’s IPL can grow and cricketers will be able to play in that, the Big Bash and over in England as well."

The BCCI’s announcement on Sunday was met with criticism from international players including Alyssa Healy, who expressed her disappointment on social media that Australians, and the large number of overseas players already committed to the WBBL, would be unavailable for the T20 Challenge – and that India’s players would be prevented from being part of the Big Bash.


However, it has been equally hailed by India greats Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, for offering extra game time for India’s domestic players during a year which has seen little cricket played.

This will be the second consecutive WBBL season where Indian players have been absent from the league, after a tour of the West Indies ruled players from both teams out of being contracted for WBBL|05.

That scheduling prompted Australia great Mel Jones tocall for international boards together to introduce clear windows for Australia and England’s – and when introduced, India’s – domestic competitions.

Not only to prevent clashes between the domestic leagues, but to also ensure international series are not staged through those windows, so the best talent is available for entire tournaments.

"At the end of the day it’s down to the boards to plan ahead and make sure they’re supporting their players to earn more money and develop their games," Jones told cricket.com.au last year.

While restrictions remain in place in Australia surrounding international travel and quarantine periods, both the Big Bash League and clubs are committed to bringing in top talent from around the world.

"A really big part of the success of the WBBL is having the best players in the world being able to play," CA's Head of the Big Bash Leagues, Alastair Dobson, said last month.

"We’re working really hard on the protocols and exemptions and processes and our clubs really committed to bringing those players in, so I’m hopeful we can have as many of the big stars again as we have in the past."