Cricket Australia confirm extended series against Indian women's team next season

Cricket Australia, on Thursday, announced the schedule for Australia’s women team for the next home season that will also feature an ODI series against India’s women team. Australia will also lock horns against England during the bumper home season. The packed 2021-22 season will also have the seventh season of the Women’s Big Bash League.

India and Australia were originally scheduled to play three ODIs next month but the series was recently postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The matches were due to take place on January 22 in Canberra, January 25 in Melbourne and January 28 in Hobart. The decision to postpone the series came after the new COVID-19 outbreaks in Sydney which have resulted in some states imposing travel restrictions. In addition to that, passengers travelling to Australia are also required to take mandatory quarantine for 14 days.

The postponement has further delayed the Indian women team’s return to action. The Women in Blue have not played a single game since the final of this year’s T20 World Cup on March 8. Incidentally, the men’s team is currently in Australia and is engaged in the four-match Test series. Prior to the Tests, the team had also played three ODIs and three T20Is.

Cricket Australia confirms extended series

While only time will tell when the Indian women team returns to action, Cricket Australia have confirmed that they will host the team for an extended series next season. While the series originally had only three ODIs, it has been expanded to include three T20s as well. The series will also give India an opportunity to prepare for the 50-over World Cup which will be held in New Zealand in March and April, 2022.

The World Cup was to be held in New Zealand early in 2021 but has been delayed by more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. India are eyeing their first-ever world title and will be looking to end their long wait in 2022. They were the runners-up when the last edition of the tournament was held in England in 2017.

“We are very hopeful of delivering an expanded schedule between the Australian and Indian women’s teams for next season, which would be an outstanding result for fans in both countries,” CA interim CEO Nick Hockley said after confirming the Indian series will be played next season.

“We had initially hoped to play India this summer, however the impact of the global pandemic made it necessary to postpone until next season.  It will be wonderful to once again host the Indian women’s team, who were centre stage for that unforgettable ICC T20 World Cup final at the MCG in March, and to do so with an expanded schedule from what was originally planned,” he added.