India out of Women's World Cup

By Stephan Shemilt BBC Sport in Mumbai Hosts India were knocked out of the Women's World Cup with a 138-run defeat by Sri Lanka in their last group match.

Chasing 283, India would have secured a place in the Super Six stage on net run-rate had they made at least 251, but they crumbled to 144 all out.

Sri Lanka, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, who also stunned England in their opening match, had never beaten India in one-day cricket.

Sri Lanka, England and West Indies take two points through to the Super Sixes.

The top three teams in each group qualify Each team plays three games against the qualifiers from the other group, while carrying through their results against the qualifiers from their original group There are no semi-finals - the first and second-placed Super Six teams progress straight to the final on 17 February There are also play-offs for third/fourth, fifth/sixth and seventh/eighth Sri Lanka captain Shashikala Siriwardene said she hoped Indian fans would embrace her side as the last Asian side left in the tournament before her media conference was interrupted by a call from the nation's president, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"He said he'd never seen a match like this and wanted to congratulate us," said Siriwardene. "He wished us luck for the rest of the tournament."

England had sealed their progress with their earlier win over West Indies, but required India to advance for them to carry forward the maximum of four points.

Group B sides Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are the other three teams to advance.

After finishing bottom of Group A, India will take on Pakistan in a play-off to determine seventh and eighth place.

Protests from a right-wing political party against Pakistan's presence in Mumbai caused all their fixtures to be moved to the city of Cuttack, about 1,000 miles away.

India must now travel to play that game on Thursday, the day before the Super Six stage begins.

"I really didn't think we would we be in these circumstances at the start of the tournament," India captain Mithali Raj told BBC Sport.

"It's very disappointing to be out of the tournament. I can't sum up what my team is going through after this defeat."

Raj had previously suggested the tournament was an opportunity to advance the women's game in India, and conceded that the chance had been missed.

"It was an occasion for us to do well in front of a home crowd," said the 30-year-old batter. "To get the sport the kind of awareness, marketing and publicity it needs, this was a big opportunity for us."

Raj began the tournament as the number-one ranked batter in the world, but managed only 29 runs in three innings.

"I don't play the game for rankings, but it's more important for me how many runs I score for my country," she said. "I can't talk about the future but, as a team, we will take a little while to come out of this disappointment."

On her future as captain, she added: "That is the call of the selectors."

View the original article here

India's changing attitude to women's cricket

By Stephan Shemilt BBC Sport in Mumbai Think India, think cricket.

Each day in Mumbai every grassy space is occupied by some sort of cricketing contest. Men's cricket, that is.

However, from India women's captain Mithali Raj to children of the slums of Mumbai, there is hope that the country's attitude to the sport is changing.

“If matches are televised on a regular basis I'm sure women's cricket in India will catch up”

Mithali Raj India women's captain While in many ways India has become the game's modern home, it faced accusations of being behind the times during the scheduling controversy that marred the run-up to the Women's World Cup.

Yes, political pressures made it necessary for Pakistan's games to be moved from Mumbai, but the decision to evict the women from the city's biggest stadium, the Wankhede, to accommodate the men's Ranji Trophy final, left a sour taste.

Furthermore, not one of those games that take place in Mumbai's parks appear to involve any women. England are assigned some local youngsters to bowl at their net sessions, but a girl is yet to be spotted.

So, when England trio Holly Colvin, Danielle Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont gave a coaching session to some Mumbai schoolchildren, it came as a surprise that the group who arrived at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) was made up entirely of girls.

That, though, was only part of the story. Helped by Room To Read - an international charity focussing on literacy and gender equality in education - these girls had come from the slums of Mumbai.

"For them, this opportunity is like touching the heavens," said Room To Read's Neelima Naik. "When they knew England were coming here, they practised for three days.

"They said 'we are having England players play with us, they shouldn't feel we are not good enough'.

"They look at the likes of India captain Mithali Raj as a role model and are dreaming of being like her. The entry to CCI could be the first step."

India's best finish in the women's World Cup was as runners-up to Australia in 2005.

However, despite the enthusiasm of an inspirational figure such as Neelima, one cannot help but wonder that, even if these girls possess the talent, Indian attitudes to women and women in sport would hold them back.

As the World Cup began, former India captain Diana Edulji described the Board of Control for Cricket in India's approach to women as an "insult". 

She explained the fee for woman playing in a domestic one-day match was 2,500 Rupees (£30) and only 1,250 Rupees (£15) for a Twenty20.

"It's well known that boys still get more opportunities and support in both sport and education. The culture of India is male dominated," said Neelima.

"It's still a big thing for a girl child to be allowed to go to school. She could instead be cleaning the home, looking after a sibling or earning money.

"But I am seeing a little change of attitude. There are growing opportunities and even the government is trying to support girls' development. The mental make-up is still that the girl has to do housework, but that is changing."

When the group of a dozen or so girls have finished their lesson in cover drives and dancing Gangnam Style from Colvin, Wyatt and Beaumont, two are introduced through Neelima's interpreting.

Mithali Raj has scored 4,499 runs in 143 ODIs

Fifteen-year-old Radha explains that her parents are vegetable vendors. Leena, who is 14, says that her parents are domestic servants. Both are incredibly excited to be asked to speak, but their manners are impeccable.

"Very rarely do we get the chance for cricket because mum feels we should not play," says Radha. When asked about who their hero is, the response is predictable. "Sachin Tendulkar," is proclaimed through wide smiles. What about Raj? "Yes, Mithali," but the answer is not quite as convincing.

Later that afternoon, media gather to put questions to Raj, the undoubted face of women's cricket in India. The second surprise of the day is that at this press conference there are more female journalists than male.

The journalists explain that the Women's World Cup would not really register in India if it was not the host - there is little around Mumbai promoting the tournament, but TV adverts featuring men's spinner Ravichandran Ashwin urge the nation to get behind Raj's team.

They do, however, point out the ramped-up coverage in the newspapers. Broadsheets The Times of India and The Hindu both have half-page spreads devoted to the World Cup, complete with pictures of Raj and team-mate Thirush Kamini. It's unheard of.

"It's a big event, the World Cup attracts a lot of people and media coverage," says Raj.

"People always come up to me to ask about who we are playing and when so that they can follow the performances of the team.

"If matches are televised on a regular basis I'm sure women's cricket in India will catch up."

It's a vision that Neelima shares.

"I hope that one day women cricketers in India are greeted and welcomed everywhere they go," she said. "That we have women's cricket on television and people stay at home to watch.

"That is the dream for all of us."

View the original article here

VIDEO: Meet the England women's cricket team

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.

View the original article here

Women's World Cup tournament guide

The Women's World Cup has been running since 1973 - longer than the men's event, which did not start until 1975.

For the 10th edition of the tournament - and the third hosted by India - which starts on 31 January, the format is unchanged from the 2009 event, with eight teams divided into two groups of four.

Meet the England women's cricket team

Each team plays the other three teams in its group once on a round-robin format, with the top three teams in each group qualifying for the Super Six phase.

In the Super Six, each team plays three games against the qualifiers from the other group, while carrying through their results against the other qualifiers from their original group.

There are no semi-finals - the first and second-placed Super Six teams progress straight to the final on 17 February, while there are also play-offs for third/fourth, fifth/sixth and seventh/eighth place.

Here is the lowdown on the eight competing teams, their tournament history, prospects for the competition and the players to keep an eye on.

Tournament history: Winners in 1973, 1993 and 2009, having been runners-up on three successive occasions in 1978, 1982 and 1988.

Last time out: Winners. Easily won their first five games, only losing one game to Australia when their place in the final was already secured, and beat New Zealand in the final.

Recent ODI form: Came from 2-0 down to beat India 3-2 in their last 50-over series, in July 2012.

Colvin was one of the leading wicket-takers at last year's World Twenty20

Did you know? Captain Charlotte Edwards is the most-capped player in women's one-day internationals, with 160 appearances including 86 as captain. However, she is 15 short of the all-time women's ODI captaincy record, held by Australia legend Belinda Clark.

Player to watch: While wicketkeeper/batter Sarah Taylor has taken the headlines after it emerged she could play men's county second XI cricket this summer, her Sussex team-mate Holly Colvin has also been invited to train with the men's second team. Still only 23, the left-arm spinner has played an increasingly important role in the England attack and was one of the leading wicket-takers at the World Twenty20. Having hit the winning run in the 2009 World Cup final, she has also shown steady improvement with the bat, when called upon.

Verdict: Led well by captain Edwards and coach Mark Lane, they have one of the most exciting talents in world cricket in Sarah Taylor, while Lydia Greenway is the star of a slick fielding unit. The spinners will have a key role to play, while pace bowler Katherine Brunt is a wicket-taking threat with the new ball. The cup holders will settle for nothing less than retaining the trophy they won in Sydney four years ago - though Australia may stand in their way again.

Tournament history: Their best finish was as runners-up to Australia in 2005.

Last time out: Third. Their only defeats were by finalists England and New Zealand, and two wins over Australia ensured they pipped the Southern Stars to third place.

Recent ODI form: Lost 3-2 to England, having led 2-0, in their last ODIs in July 2012.

Raut made her international debut against West Indies during the last World Cup in 2009

Did you know? Wicketkeeper Karu Jain from Bangalore is back in the India squad after more than four years in the international wilderness - having played the last of her 37 ODIs against England in September 2008.

Player to watch: With India's fortunes often relying on captain Mithali Raj to lead from the front with the bat, opener Poonam Raut has a key role to play in taking some pressure off the skipper in getting runs on the board.

Verdict: Tournament hosts for the third time, a Super Six place should be the minimum India will expect. Should be comfortable playing on home soil, but will still face an uphill struggle to make the final ahead of England, Australia and New Zealand.

Tournament history: Finished fifth in 2005 and 2009, their best performances in the 50-over format.

Last time out: Fifth. Beat South Africa in the 2009 group stage, lost all their Super Six games but beat Pakistan to fifth spot.

Recent ODI form: Came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with South Africa on home soil in January.

Taylor has won two International Cricket Council cricketer of the year awards

Did you know? Barbados wicketkeeper Kycia Knight has recently been joined in the Windies squad by her twin sister Kyshona. Team-mate Anisa Mohammed also has a cricketing twin sister, Alisa, who has played for Trinidad & Tobago but has not yet received an international call-up.

Player to watch: Opener Stafanie Taylor has been the ICC's reigning women's ODI cricketer of the year for the last two years, setting the tone with some powerful hitting at the top of the order and providing a good platform for Deandra Dottin and skipper Merissa Aguilleira.

Verdict: Qualification for the Super Six should not be a problem for West Indies, but their further progress may depend on whether they can get their hard-hitting batting line-up to fire on a consistent basis as the tournament goes on.

Tournament history: Quarter-finalists in 1997, their best finish was sixth in 2000.

Last time out: Eighth. Picked up the wooden spoon in 2009, losing all three group games and the seventh-place play-off to South Africa.

Recent ODI form: Their last ODI series was way back in April 2012, losing 2-1 to West Indies in the Caribbean.

Siriwardene has captained Sri Lanka in 34 of her 61 one-day internationals

Did you know? All-rounder and former captain Chamani Seneviratna is Sri Lanka's most-capped player in one-day internationals, having played 67 games since her debut in 1997, a few days after her 19th birthday.

Player to watch: Captain Shashikala Siriwardene, who made her international debut just under a decade ago, has a key role to play, both in the middle order and as a front-line off-spinner.

Verdict: Will be Group A's outsiders, but if they can cause a shock against West Indies - as they did with a Duckworth-Lewis success at the World Twenty20 - then they could sneak into the Super Six.

Tournament history: The most successful side in World Cup history - winners in 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997 and 2005, and runners-up in 1973 and 2000.

Last time out: Fourth. As hosts, won two of their 2009 group games and were the only team to beat eventual winners England (in the Super Six) but lost to India twice, including the play-off for third place.

Recent ODI form: Beat New Zealand 3-1 in their Rose Bowl series in mid-December.

Meg Lanning has scored three ODI centuries; the Australian record is held by Karen Rolton, with eight

Did you know? Off-spinning all-rounder Lisa Sthalekar, who was born in India, is the ICC's top-ranked female bowler (and top all-rounder) in Twenty20 international cricket. She is second behind England's Katherine Brunt in the ODI bowling rankings, and second in the all-rounder charts behind West Indies' Stafanie Taylor.

Player to watch: Opener Meg Lanning is in top form, hitting 87, 72, 103 and 38 in the four-match ODI series against New Zealand before smashing 76 and 64 in two T20 games against the same opposition. The 20-year-old, who made her debut just over two years ago, averages 50 in one-day international cricket.

Verdict: Will be targeting their second world title in four months after pipping England to the World Twenty20 in October. A strong all-round side have the potential to go all the way again

Tournament history: Winners in 2000, runners-up in 1993, 1997 and 2009.

Last time out: Runners-up. Eased through the group stage with a 100% record and finished top of the Super Six table after only one defeat, by England - who beat them again in the final.

Recent ODI form: Lost 3-1 to Australia in their Rose Bowl series in mid-December.

Bates represented New Zealand at basketball in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing

Did you know? Lucy Doolan displayed her all-round cricketing skills in two matches against England at the last World Cup. In the Super Six, she took over as wicketkeeper after Rachel Priest was hit in the face, took a catch behind the stumps, then bowled six overs after Priest returned. Then in the final, Doolan top scored with 48, batting at number nine, before taking 3-23 from 10 overs of off-spin.

Player to watch: White Ferns captain Suzie Bates will enter the tournament on a good run of form with the bat, having made 38, 122 not out, 59, 49 and 54 in her last five ODI innings.

Verdict: Will be determined to add to that solitary ICC global tournament win in 2000 - having been perennial losing finalists or semi-finalists in recent years. Should have no difficulty in making the Super Six, but may have to beat either England or Australia to reach the final at their expense.

Tournament history: Their best finish was sixth in 2009.

Last time out: Sixth. Beat Sri Lanka in the group stage, beat West Indies in the Super Six but lost to them in the play-off for fifth.

Recent ODI form: Won a tri-series against Ireland and Bangladesh in Dublin in August 2012.

Pakistan will be competing at their third World Cup

Did you know? Pakistan have only competed at two previous Women's World Cup tournaments, losing all five games in 1997 - the last time India hosted the event.

Player to watch: With spin likely to play a big role in the tournament, slow left-armer Sadia Yousuf, who was their joint leading wicket-taker at the World Twenty20, can expect plenty of bowling for Pakistan.

Verdict: With their preparations disrupted by their games being switched to Cuttack following political protests in Mumbai about their involvement, the build-up has not been easy for Pakistan. Realistically, they must target the game with South Africa, with the winner likely to reach the Super Six phase.

Tournament history: Their best performance came when they reached the semi-finals in 2000.

Last time out: Seventh. Lost all three group games in 2009, before beating Sri Lanka in the play-off for seventh.

Recent ODI form: Drew 2-2 with West Indies in January, having won the first two games.

Brits captained South Africa at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in 2010

Did you know: South Africa are the only team to have hosted a World Cup and failed to finish in the top four on home soil - coming sixth in 2005.

Player to watch: Former captain Cri-zelda Brits is another player who has returned after taking a year's break from international cricket. Her experience of more than a decade at the top level will be a vital part of South Africa' middle order.

Verdict: Will take heart from their recent performances in the Caribbean. If they can beat Pakistan, they should reach the Super Six, which would be an achievement in itself.

Statistics correct at the start of the tournament

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra will have ball-by-ball commentary on all of England's games and the final at the ICC Women's World Cup, with live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and mobiles.

View the original article here