WBBL players Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana recalled by BCCI

After making a significant impact in the WBBL this season, Indian women players have been withdrawn by the BCCI. Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, the two Indian players involved in the league this year, have been recalled by the board citing national duties. Smriti Mandhana has been a key member of Indian women T20I team and Harmanpreet Kaur is the captain of the Indian T20I side at the moment. With the 2017 World Cup Qualifiers round the corner, the BCCI wants both players to attend the training camp back home. India had failed to automatically qualify for the World Cup and hence will have to play the qualifiers to make it to the tournament proper.

Talking about the Women’s Big Bash League, the Indian stars had made a great impact on the tournament with their prolific show. Mandhana was a part of the Brisbane Heat and had impressed one and all. Harmanpreet Kaur was a notch ahead with her performances and was a key player for the Sydney Thunder. She had lit up their opening game with a blitz cameo that came in a losing cause. In the very next game, she announced herself in style with a quick 40 odd runs to go with her four wickets.

The tournament will surely miss the services of both the players. Incidentally, BCCI is not the only board to have recalled their players, the Cricket South Africa (CSA) have also called their players Dane Van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp. With Mandhana moving out, Brisbane Heat will hope that injured Deandra Dottin recovers from her injury soon. The Thunder have a tougher ask in hand to get a player as good as Kaur.

The event head of the BBL, Mr. Anthony Everard, spoke to ESPNcricinfo and expressed concern about the matter. “Given we’ve invested significantly in this competition, and the important role it plays in the development of women’s cricket not only within Australia but globally, we have at least got a seat at the table to have that discussion,” he quoted.