Why Women Deserve More Opportunities In Test Cricket?

Cricket, a game steeped in tradition and known for its intricacies, has long been celebrated for its Test matches. Yet, for women cricketers, the opportunity to showcase their talent in this prestigious format remains a rare luxury. Despite their undeniable skill and dedication, women cricketers have been left behind in the evolution of the sport.

The Current State of Women’s Test Cricket

A quick glance at the statistics is enough to reveal the disparity. Australia, England, and India dominate women’s Test cricket history, yet South Africa, New Zealand, and others have played just a handful of matches. For context, women’s teams will play 15 Tests between 2025 and 2029, while men’s teams will play 173 in just four years.

South Africa’s Test Cricket Reality

Take South Africa’s women cricketers as an example. Legends like Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, and Sune Luus have stellar white-ball records but have barely played Test cricket. Collectively, South Africa has only 15 women’s Test matches to its name.

South Africa have played only 15. Ever. England have played 100, Australia 79, New Zealand 45, India 41, West Indies 12 and Pakistan three. Sri Lanka, Ireland and the Netherlands have played one each. Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are Test-playing countries, but their women’s teams have not been part of a single match in the format.

Women’s Test Cricket in the 20th Century

Karen Smithies, a former England captain, reminisces about the glory days of women’s Tests in the late 20th century. Yet, even then, opportunities were scarce compared to men’s cricket. Karen Smithies captained England to World Cup glory in 1993, which earned her an OBE “for services to ladies’ cricket” in the 1994 New Year honours list. Smithies also played 15 Tests from August 1987 to July 1999, captaining England in 10 of them.

Karen Smithies said, “I loved playing Test cricket because it’s a battle, isn’t it? When I went for my trial at Nottingham, it was based on a two-day game. They played a Saturday and Sunday declaration game. I played quite a few of those matches, and that’s how I learnt my cricket; by playing declaration, two-day, over-the-weekend games. The foundation can never be lost if you’ve played enough declaration cricket. These girls, your under-19s even, all they want to do is hit from ball one, across the line, mostly. In Test cricket, you go out there and find yourself.

The Challenges Facing Women’s Test Cricket

Declaration cricket, a format crucial for building Test-level skills is almost non-existent for women. Without these foundational games, players are thrown into Tests without adequate preparation. Test cricket, even in men’s formats, often struggles to draw crowds. Women’s matches, unfortunately, face even less attention, making them less attractive to sponsors and boards.

Test cricket teaches patience, strategy, and resilience. For instance, Karen Smithies once faced 167 balls for a gritty 30 runs—a contribution that ultimately helped her team secure a narrow win.

India remains one of the few countries where women play first-class cricket, albeit sporadically. Expanding such opportunities globally could pave the way for more competitive Tests.

Karen Smithies and the Push for Equality

Smithies, now in South Africa, actively campaigned for more declaration of cricket for women. She believes these games are crucial for teaching strategic thinking and resilience.

Smithies said, “Just to begin to know the game in that format and begin to look at areas where, for example, you can bowl somebody out. Or in the lead-up to taking a wicket. How do you do that? Where do you bowl? What are your plans? That’s something we don’t do.”

Smithies learnt more patience in the 69 ODIs she played because 20 of them were 60 over-a-side matches and another 11 were contested in innings of 55 overs.

What Needs to Change

The FTP for women’s cricket must include more Tests. Grassroots initiatives like declaration cricket leagues can also help prepare future generations. While Tests might not be immediate moneymakers, investing in them now could yield long-term benefits by building a larger fanbase and higher-quality competition.