Multi-Day Domestic Competition For Women Needs Overhaul: Hemlata Kala

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The Indian cricket board needs to strengthen womens multi-day domestic competition to prepare a formidable Test side, said former India woman cricketer and chief selector Hemlata Kala.

India are set to play two Tests this year, against England in June and a day-night match against Australia in September. "If Tests are to become a permanent fixture in India women's calendar, the best way to scout and nurture talent would be through the multi-day domestic completion," said Lata, who was chief selector between from 2015 to 2020.

Hemlata felt that the dynamics of playing with the pink ball are quite different from playing with the red or the white ball, and hoped BCCI would do its best to give players opportunity to get some preparatory experience with the pink ball before the Australia tour.

"A good way [to prepare for the D/N Test] would be to host intra-squad matches in India for the core pool of say, 30-35 players who might make the final squad. Once our players return from The Hundred, they could link up with the rest of the squad for the Australia tour in India and play a few warm-ups among them under lights with the pink ball."

"That way, it might be even easy to pick the best squad for the Test," Hemlata, who played seven Tests and scored 503 runs, said in an interview with espncricinfo.com.

Hemlata said that while the ODI and T20I teams already had some specialist players, with the focus now on Test cricket, "we will see specialists in the longest format also coming up".