Latest ICC sanctioned tournament set to give women's cricket its new wings

As women's cricket finally has taken centre stage, despite the male-dominant community in the sport, a new ICC sanctioned tournament, FairBreak Invitational T20, will set its foot on the cricketing map in May with the aim to promote gender equality.

Although the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has not given the NOCs to their women cricketers as the competition starts just after the culmination of the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, as many as 36 countries have allowed their players to feature in the historic tournament that will run in Dubai from May 4 to May 15.

For the same, six teams have been formed- Falcons, Warriors, Barmy Army, Spirit, Tornadoes and South Coast Sapphires. Prominent cricketing names include Dani Wyatt, Sophie Ecclestone, Heather Knight, Shabnim Ismail, Sana Mir, Hayley Matthews, Suzie Bates, Stafanie Taylor, and many more be seen in action for their respective teams.

With women's cricket currently having superior powers in the form of Australia, England and India, the FairBreak Invitational T20 that targets to join the leading stars from authoritative countries with the rising cricketers from emerging nations will only help the ladies in making a giant leap forward.

Heather Knight, who will play alongside the players from Vanuatu and Rwanda, hoped that the tournament would reduce the hardships suffered by associate nations.

"I think there are discrepancies and certain things in the women's game," said Knight as quoted by AFP.

"Sometimes the funding for example relies on the men's game which I think needs to change," she added. "So I think this (tournament) is all about trying to help those associate nations, trying to grow the game globally."

As the BCCI now plans to start a women-centric IPL-style competition from next year, the money would flow but would the associate nations benefit from it?

Meanwhile, the captain of Tornadoes, Stafanie Taylor, hoped for a growing financial scope for the women cricketers.

"I'd like to see some more money, like the IPL, for sure," Taylor wished.

"This (FairBreak) is adding to the leagues that we usually play in, like the BBL (Big Bash League) and the Hundred."

The Shaun Martyn-planned competition was earlier slated to happen in Hong Kong. However, with COVID-19 cases still a major worry, the decision was made to host the league's inaugural edition in Dubai.

Warriors skipper Sindhu Sriharsha, who is the current captain of the United States, is confident that women's cricket will finally make its own identity in the country after seeing the rising interest among the youth for the upcoming T20 league.

"The kids are already writing to me telling me, 'Can you please hook me up with them?' and 'I want to be playing this tournament in a couple of years," delighted Sriharsha informed.