Exclusive: 'Idea of the Women's IPL needs to be deliberated upon' - WV Raman on future of the sport, coaching in lockdown, T20 WC and more

After the massive success of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, women’s cricket in India was looking at an unprecedented rise in popularity. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has shattered the entire sporting calendar. Sportspersons, coaches, support staff, everyone have been restricted to train and work indoors with uncertainty looming large over the resumption of sporting action.

Indian women team’s head coach, WV Raman, in an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, spoke about a lot of topics ranging from the importance of team bonding, life in lockdown, the emergence of talented youngsters, India’s journey in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Women’s IPL and much more...

Digvijay Singh Deo: Raman, thanks for joining us. It was just over a month ago that India were in that iconic final at the MCG - but it feels much longer doesn't it with everything that has happened since then with reference to the coronavirus...

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WVRaman:Yes, it does seem like a very long time ago, almost a different world. The girls had a great run till the final of the ICC World T20 and played some great cricket. But since then life has taken a turn for the worse.even while we were in Australia in early March, there were indications about the threat of the coronavirus. At that time, we were beginning to realise the problems it could pose. But since then it has become a pandemic and made life extremely difficult for people across the world.

Every day is a challenge. But this situation also gives us a chance to reflect on the things which we took for granted.this is the time for humanity to show resilience. Mankind has to collectively fight this pandemic, while still being in isolation, to prevail over it.

DSD:What has the lockdown been like for you? As a coach, I presume you are the kind of person used to interacting with a fair number of people on a daily basis - is this almost a welcome break?

WVRaman: I am no different from any other individual, everyone is going through the same fear and anxiety. But at the same time, all of us are also trying to stay positive in these difficult times. If life would have been normal, then we might have organised a couple of camps for the girls to work on their fitness and training. But obviously that is not possible. The thing we need to focus on now is getting back to normalcy as soon as possible. All of us are in this together and we need to keep our spirits up and just hope for the best, let's hope there isn't a great spike in the number of cases in the near future. So hopefully we will overcome this crisis and all of us will get back to leading our normal lives.

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DSD: Aseasoned veteran like yourself might find it easier to deal with this virus state of existence than perhaps a very young team that you are in charge of... I'm sure you are in touch with them - how are they coping?

WVRaman: Yes I'm sure it will be a challenge for them. But I know all of them are very social media savvy, so they are keeping in touch and trying to raise the spirits of each other. At this time. You need to show creativity in the way you interact with other people as well because it has been more than three weeks since the lockdown and everyone's patience is also being tested. The girls need to ensure that they don't get on each others' nerves. It is an interesting phase and there are many important lessons we can learn from this crisis. I remember when I was playing league cricket in England back in the 80s, we used to have just one game on the weekend, so throughout the week, we had to find a way to stay occupied and do something worthwhile.

The problem back then was that we didn't have the option of using social media. But this generation has an advantage because that opens up a lot of avenues which allow people to spend time in a constructive manner. Can you just imagine what this lockdown would have been like without any social media or the internet?

DSD:I just read Smriti Mandana saying that the girls are playing ludo online with each other to keep up the team bond... Do you approve of this lockdown-era team bonding exercise?

WVRaman: I think it is good for team spirit and it is a fun activity to do during the lockdown. Games like ludo and monopoly can also give you life lessons as well. Playing monopoly can help you in the long run in managing finances.

DSD: There is, of course, a lot of uncertainty around the cricket calendar right now - all the women cricketers were looking forward to playing in the T20 Challenge alongside the IPL playoffs at this time of the year... But that isn't happening and the tour of England in June is also doubtful... What do you get your players to focus on to try and keep the motivation and fitness in such a scenario?

WVRaman: There are two ways to look at it. One perspective is that they have a lot of spare time now, which means they can do various physical activities even though their movement is restricted. They don't have training equipment nor the company of their team-mates, which takes the stress out of an intense training session. But there are other basic things they can do to keep themselves in shape. They will miss out on the technical aspect of training, but we cannot do anything about it.

The top priority right now is for everyone in the world to stay healthy.there are many, like our migrant workers, who are going through tremendous anxiety on a daily basis because they don't know what the future holds for them. I don't think we should be focussing on the sport right now, the priority is overcoming this crisis. Once we have achieved that, then we can discuss the next step.

DSD:You've had a bit of time now to let the World Cup really sink in - the final didn't quite go the way that India wanted - but you must be proud of such a young side - just 22 years old on average - marched into that title clash.

WVRaman:Yes definitely, lots of players in the team said after the tournament that the performance was a confidence boost for them in terms of t20 international cricket, since they were sure of their abilities in the 50 over game, but not so much in T20 cricket. The performances in the triangular series and the World Cup in Australia were fantastic. It was great that a team that wasn't sure of their abilities in the format played such great cricket. The young side showed great maturity in the tournament. It was very satisfying for me as a coach since most of the games were hard-fought victories. So the girls stood up to all the challenges that were thrown at them. Unfortunately, on the big day, things didn't go our way but that can happen to the best of teams as well. On the whole, it was a campaign to be proud of and given the fans back home a lot of hope for the future of the women's game in the country.

Most importantly, I think the cricket fraternity would have realised that we as a team can compete at the highest level. I think moving forward, it's important that we do not repeat those mistakes and learn from them.

DSD:You said in an interview a few days after the final that the semi-final against England being washed out had a negative impact on the team and the momentum that had been built up... Can you talk us through how that was playing out in the dressing room, behind the scenes in the buildup to the final - and how you and the team look at that final now?

WVRaman: I don't want anyone to think that my statement was an excuse for our performance in the final. But the fact is that if a team doesn't play in the days leading up to a big match, it is going to be a major challenge, especially for such a young side like ours. The reason I say that is because it is only with experience that you are able to switch on mentally to gear up for a big match like a World Cup semi-final or final. The ability of players to be mentally ready for a big match increases with experience.

There was rain almost every day in Australia in the days before the final, so we only had one nets session to prepare in those few days. And then suddenly, the girls were playing the world cup final in front of 80,000 people at the m.c.g. That experience certainly would have been great for the girls, but mentally I don't think they were totally ready for that clash from the first ball. You can't hold it against them or blame them, that preparedness only comes with experience. Then of course in a t20 game, if the first 30-40 minutes don't go your way it' very difficult to bounce back and that's what happened in the final.

DSD: The big headline from India's world cup campaign was that all those wins came without Smriti and Harman having to carry the batting unit... Everybody played their part...

WVRaman: Yes, that was a mental block that people needed to get out of their system. There was a myth that we could only win if our star players- Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur- performed. So it was great to see other girls chipping in and contributing. You are more likely to succeed when the team plays as a unit. It was unfortunate for Smriti and Harmanpreet to not put up the numbers they were expected to, but this can happen in any tournament.

It is impossible for the big players to score big runs in every single game, even the best of players have their off days and that's what makes cricket such an interesting game.

DSD: The tournament also thrust into the spotlight the young Shafali Verma - India's highest run-getter, raw power-hitting at just 16 years of age that had all the pundits and former players singing her praises... It's a lot to process for such a young player, isn't it?

WVRaman:She took the world by storm. Everyone was eager to watch her play before the world cup because of her age. There were many who were curious to see what she brought to the team, that too in a major competition like the world cup. Her fearless batting throughout the tournament has won her many admirers and a lot of people are predicting great things for her in the future. But there is a school of thought which believes that she cannot continue to play the same way she has played in the long run and hope to succeed.

But that is not the correct approach to take towards her batting. Her talent is there for everyone and she is intelligent, she knows what aspects of her game she needs to work on and hopefully, she will continue to perform well. There were lots of people in the game who doubted Virender Sehwag as well. They reckoned that Sehwag wasn't a test match batsman because he was unconventional. But he went on to prove all his doubters wrong and went on to have a great test career, scoring runs in every country at a phenomenal strike rate.
So there is no need to over-analyse Verma's game, she needs to keep her head down and continue to work.

DSD: We heard Harmanpreet say after the World Cup that India is around 5 years behind England and Australia in terms of big tournament experience... But because this team is so young, is this largely the group that you hope will take the next step?

WVRaman: Experience is crucial in building a world-class side. For example, the Australian team that won the world cup had played together in 2 or 3 finals before the T20 World Cup this year. One way the team can gain more experience is by playing together for a long period of time. I see that happening with the current crop of players, most of them are young and they have shown that they also have the temperament to deal with the pressures of playing at the highest level.

Because most of the players I have are young, if they are able to play together for the next 2-3 years, I see them becoming as dominant as the Australian side we see right now.i would say the possibility of this team playing together for the next 7-8 years is very high.

DSD: You have said that you are trying to build a team that can dominate world cricket for a few years - one aspect of that is to keep the talent coming in.. Are you also working with the BCCI on how to expand the pool - and the larger eco-system of the women's game?

WVRaman:The beauty in a huge country like India is that you are always told about emerging talents from various state associations.we have programs in place that to guide and nurture the talent of these young cricketers. A whole structure is being created for these girls to come through the ranks.

The under 19 world cup will begin next year and we already have tournaments like the emerging Asia Cup, this has given a lot of young girls the impetus to take up the sport. Earlier what used to happen was that whosoever did well in the under 19 domestic competition, would get selected for the senior team. So overnight there was a major jump in the level of cricket that player was competing in .they were expected to find a recipe for success at the international level with very little experience. But that will hopefully change now, we are seeing India 'A' teams going on tours and playing regular matches.

The structure we are trying to create will ensure that players who come into the senior team are not overawed by the level of cricket at the international level. We are trying to implement the stricture that the men's team have, where a player has already played about 6-7 years of competitive cricket before breaking into the senior team. This makes the players battle-hardened and better prepared to deal with the demands of the international game.

DSD: There were many calls for a Women's IPL in and around the World Cup.Do you think there is enough talent around to create a competitive and full-fledged tournament?

WVRaman: The idea of the Women's IPL needs to be deliberated upon, we have to clear about what the objectives the tournaments are. The other concern is that if we invite a lot of foreigners in a team in the first edition of the IPL, it is going to be difficult to change that precedent over a period of time. I think the BCCI will make the correct call on the timing and establishment of the Women's Indian Premier League. At the moment we just have to be patient and not jump the gun.

DSD: The focus now shifts to the 50-over format now and next year's World Cup in New Zealand... You have a bit more experience with Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami coming in - how will that affect your preparations?

WVRaman: We'll have to see when things get back to normal. We'll also have to see where India is placed in the qualification scenario, there is the possibility of playing world cup qualifiers, but we don't know that yet.let's allow things to unfold and the situation to improve and then we will work on the future of the team.