Following their seventh T20 World Cup triumph, senior Australian women’s players are urging Cricket Australia to reinstate more prime summer fixtures, fearing the current schedule may stifle the sport’s growth, especially among young girls.
Australia’s home season kicks off on Friday against Bangladesh with three ODIs in Brisbane, followed by a series of T20s against New Zealand in Sydney. These matches, scheduled on school nights, highlight the players’ concerns as home games dwindle until March when New Zealand returns for ODIs. Under the International Cricket Council’s current planning, neither the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) nor international women’s fixtures are scheduled during Australia’s school holidays for the next three years.
Beth Mooney, a seasoned wicketkeeper-batter, voiced her frustrations, “We don’t want to be the sport that falls behind because we’re just getting it wrong. They’re not dragging their kid out to watch a 7 pm T20 on a Tuesday night or whatever it is. That’s going to stop girls getting into the game, because parents aren’t going to take them.”
Her sentiments echo Australia’s most-capped player Ellyse Perry, who voiced comparable concerns recently. The summer program has been reshuffled partly due to the ICC moving the inaugural Champions’ Trophy to February. Moreover, players are uneasy about India potentially extending its January window for the Women’s Premier League (WPL), currently occupying January 14 to February 7.
Mooney, along with her peers, fears that without visible home games, the team risks becoming “out of sight and out of mind”, which could dampen public interest following their World Cup success. They advocate for more matches in December around the festive period, although Australia’s schedule includes a Sri Lanka tour at that time.
“We’re not getting crowds; it’s not marketed well,” Mooney added. “We want to be relatable athletes. And if we’re not front and centre of the summer it makes it pretty difficult when it’s meant to be a summer sport.”
Coach Shelley Nitschke expressed her disappointment at the lack of home fixtures in December and January. Captain Sophie Molineux also noted, “December home games would be really special for us and help bring fans in.”
Mooney’s, Nitschke’s, and Molineux’s comments bring attention to the urgent need for a balanced and visible schedule to keep the momentum from their World Cup win alive and inspire the next generation of cricketers.
