English cricket has been pretty busy since the lockdown. It seems that only on-field action got a hit. England and Wales Cricket Board was one of the first board to announce a bilateral faceoff and have invited Windies for the same.
In another update, Sophie Luff has been awarded retainer contracts for the season coming from June 1 to September 30, 2020.
She is the skipper of Somerset Women’s side and has been active with coaching for Somerset Cricket Board. She has been instrumental in securing two Kia super League titles for Western Storm. Her successful stint helped her earned a contract with Welsh Fire Women’s Team in The Hundred. The tournament, however, has been shifted to 2021 due to the global pandemic.
Luff has received a retainer with the South West and Wales region. She alongside Danielle Gibson and Fi Morris earned the retainer from the region worth 1,000 Euros per month. Share on X
As per reports, eight regional hubs (North East, North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West and Wales, South Central, London, and South East, and London and East) are bound to provide annual coaching and training assistance to players. This has been arranged in place of the current county system. The chief executive of ECB reassured the board’s commitment to organize domestic season for women. He said that “Planning for the return of the women’s domestic game remains ongoing, but our commitment to women’s domestic cricket is unwavering and we look forward to sharing further news shortly”.
He further emphasized on the need to roll out infrastructure and other imperatives for holding competitive cricket during a pandemic. He said,
“In the event that proves impossible, we will explore other options for play to enable our women’s players to enjoy competitive domestic cricket in 2020”.
As reported by us earlier, there were apprehensions in the minds of players with regard to the resumption of women cricket. Cricket world cup has been postponed and domestic cricket seems to be a distant reality. It is encouraging, so to say, for boards and organizers to promote women cricket at times of pandemic. There have been several financial cuts and trims on schedules. However, we have seen the Pakistan Cricket Board following a distinct approach. These times call for a coordinated and multi-dimensional approach on the part of administrators and other stakeholders of the game.
News Source: Richard Browne for Somerset County Gazette
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