Sudha Shah Advocates for More Women's Test Cricket, Inter-Zonal Tournaments

Former Indian cricketer Sudha Shah has called for a significant increase in the number of women's Test matches, advocating for a minimum of three Tests per series. She believes that this would not only enhance the quality of women's cricket but also foster a more competitive and engaging environment.

Shah, who played in India's first official Test series in 1976, emphasized the importance of longer formats in developing players' skills and endurance. She suggested that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should mandate a minimum number of Tests for all member nations, similar to the World Test Championship (WTC) for men.

"I feel, in the first place, they should stop the one-off Tests. They should be playing at least three Tests. Minimum, three-Test series," Shah said. "And I think the other (national) associations should be educated about it. Maybe, ICC should say that they have to be playing (Tests) or introduce a Test Championship."

Shah also expressed her preference for the now-scrapped inter-zonal multi-day tournament over the multi-day Challenger Trophy. She believes that inter-zonal tournaments foster a sense of regional pride and encourage players to perform at their best for their respective zones.

"I think they should be playing inter-zonal and not the Challengers. I feel Challengers finally turns out to be like selection matches. I feel they should have inter-zonal. "I think there are a lot of girls in each zone that have the potential to be playing for the zone. And you have five zones. Here, you have three teams for challengers. Maybe, four. "So, I feel inter-zonal will help the zones and the states. And frankly, like I said, Challengers, they play like it's a selection match. When you play inter-zonal, you feel like you belong to a zone, and you have to play and win for your zone. I feel that makes a difference."

Shah's insights stem from her extensive experience in women's cricket. She has witnessed firsthand the challenges and opportunities faced by female players and believes that a more robust Test cricket structure would significantly benefit the sport.

Tags: #TestCricket, #WomensCricket, #SudhaShah, #ICC, #InterZonalTournaments