According to former West Indies international and broadcaster Ian Bishop, this is part of an evolution of the game. \u201cI think you\u2019re seeing the evolution of the game, where with each passing World Cup, the better teams are becoming more dynamic, and the lower-ranked teams are getting left behind with regards to their power,\u201d Bishop told reporters at a JioStar <\/i>Media Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had some really good batting conditions, and I think the groundstaff and the grounds where we\u2019ve played deserve some kudos for leaving enough grass on the pitch for the ball to come on. The ball hasn\u2019t ragged square on too many of the pitches, but I think it\u2019s the evolution and the advancement of the women\u2019s game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Formerly a fast bowler himself, Bishop expressed a desire to see more fast bowlers in the women\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
ALSO READ | PowerPlay promise, middle-over drift: How India lost its way at the Women\u2019s T20 World Cup<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cThis is where bowlers have to catch up. One of the big things that I feel going forward is that we have to give more autonomy to organisations to find some more fast bowling and seam bowling options in the women\u2019s game.<\/p>\n I think the women\u2019s game has got to a point now where it stands on its own. But I want to see more seam-bowling options come through because we have a lot of spin, and that\u2019s a good thing, but we need to put a search on to find more dynamic fast bowling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \n Bishop called for teams to scout for more dynamic fast bowlers to bolster their chances in an ever-changing landscape. \u2018Windies capable, but need to lift standards\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Bishop\u2019s native region, West Indies, has qualified for a second consecutive semifinal where it will face Australia 10 years on from its famous final victory over the same opponent in 2016.<\/p>\n Bishop noted that having just suffered a surprise defeat to Ireland, West Indies would have to up its game in order to make the final, saying, \u201cThe West Indies are going to have to lift their game significantly. It\u2019s capable, for Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin, who haven\u2019t really fired yet. We\u2019ve seen some good things from Stephanie Taylor, so hopefully she\u2019s fit, Shemaine Campbell had a good outing.<\/p>\n One or two of those big players are going to have to stand tall, simply because Australia have decent enough bowling resources, are very experienced in the spin department, and their batting depth and power is amongst the best in the game, certainly in the top two.<\/p>\n So whatever happens at the toss, the West Indies are going to have to bat a lot better than they\u2019ve batted before in this tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n He also expressed his hope that Chinelle Henry, who did not bowl in the Ireland defeat due to a knee injury, would be fit, saying, \u201cChinelle Henry is a vital, vital piece of the puzzle, and she had injuries in the last game, so hopefully she is fit. That to me is a big thing.\u201d<\/p>\n ALSO READ | \u201cMy answer is yes\u201d: Amol Muzumdar backs Harmanpreet Kaur to continue as T20I captain<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Crowd attendance a big positive<\/b><\/p>\n The tournament has been well-attended, with the record attendance for a Women\u2019s T20 World Cup group-stage match having been breached thrice (first with the India-Pakistan match, followed by the England-New Zealand and India-Australia matches).<\/p>\n Bishop was quick to praise the recent growth of the women\u2019s game, and also noted that but for the busy sporting calendar, attendance figures could have gone even higher.<\/p>\n \u201cThe women\u2019s game is a standalone thing,\u201d Bishop noted. \u201cI think we\u2019ve talked about that for a couple of years now, even just as the pandemic started. It has grown to the point where my little girl, just as an example close to me, now loves the game. She wants to play cricket every day.<\/p>\n She never used to play, wasn\u2019t interested, and now at school she wants to play every cricket game, and I\u2019m sure that is reflected across other nations. I have been to a lot more age group games in Trinidad in the last couple of years because of my daughter and I have seen the love and passion for the game.<\/p>\n So the gospel has been spreading more and more, and that is reflected also in the attendance. I still think that there\u2019s a lot going on, the football World Cup, the Test series with the men, Wimbledon starting, that the numbers could have been better otherwise. So I think the women\u2019s game is growing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Bishop underlined the importance of a better batting display from the West Indies if the side wanted to stand a chance against the mighty Aussies. \n Bishop underlined the importance of a better batting display from the West Indies if the side wanted to stand a chance against the mighty Aussies. Associate cricket and the growth of the game<\/b><\/p>\n Bishop also reflected on the performance of the teams who got to the World Cup through the Qualifiers, singling out Netherlands, Ireland, and Scotland for their impressive displays and noting that they could only improve through further professionalism and opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m big on having the lower-ranked nations elevate themselves, because they bring a lot to the game. Where we see them falling short is only because they have not had the opportunity to play against more high-level competition, to play professionally and rub shoulders, apart from a few players, with the other great players in the game. If we can get the balance of that, we will see much more of a challenging situation from these teams,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n![\"Bishop](\"https:\/\/ss-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/55eilh\/article71162224.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/image%2045.jpg\" "\\"Bishop")
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\n AFP\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Bishop](\"https:\/\/ss-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/ktfrnt\/article71162257.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/image%2056.jpg\" "\\"Bishop")
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\n Getty Images\n <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n
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\n Getty Images\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n