Stars support the introduction of Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for women

“Rankings will give context to performances and create more interest in the game”

The ICC has today announced that as part of the continued promotion of women’s cricket it will be launching a Reliance Mobile ODI Player Rankings system for women later this year.

The player rankings, which will initially apply to ODI cricket only, will help identify where the leading players stand in women’s international cricket and create further competition and context to their achievements.

Players such as Charlotte Edwards of England, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami of India, Nicola Browne of New Zealand and Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar are expected to feature highly in the ratings, which will be launched as part of the build-up to what is expected to be one of the most exciting years in the history of the women’s game in 2009.

The first set of the ratings are expected to be released in October, ahead of the eagerly awaited women’s series between Australia and India. This is one of the major contests before the start of the ICC Women’s World Cup in March 2009.

This will be the first time the biggest event in women’s cricket will be played under the banner of the ICC following the merger with the International Women’s Cricket Council in 2005.

Then in June, the ICC World Twenty20 in England will include a men’s and women’s competition running simultaneously. The semi-finals and final of the women’s event will be played at the same venue on the same day as the men’s tournament, bringing unprecedented focus to the sport.

Some of the game’s stars have backed the development of the rankings, believing it will generate greater interest in the women’s game.

Australian all-rounder Sthalekar said: “Previously we have only had player-of-the-series awards at major events and the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year at the ICC Awards to give us any indication of who the best players in the women’s game are.

“I really welcome the introduction of these rankings as it will generate a lot of interest and competition amongst players and provide an additional context and challenge for each series. Not only will you want to help your team win the series but you will also want to improve your own individual ranking.

“Hopefully the battle to be the number one in the batting and bowling rankings will generate a lot more media interest as well in women’s cricket.”

Indian fast bowler and ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2007 Goswami added her support to the initiative.

“If there are rankings for women it will be a fantastic thing,” said Goswami. “I am really looking forward to following the rankings to see who is coming first and second in the list.

“It will increase the competition amongst the players, as everyone will want to be the number-one player.”

Meanwhile, Edwards believes that the introduction of the rankings is timely ahead of an important year for women’s cricket in 2009.

“The introduction of a player rankings system for women’s ODI cricket is another positive step forward for our game,” said Edwards.

“We have two major international events next year and we need to make sure that women’s cricket uses them to raise the profile of the game to a new audience and promote some of the stars in international cricket.

“The rankings will help bring a new level of interest to the sport and that can only be a good thing. I have played international cricket for over a decade now and I don’t think there has ever been a more exciting time to be involved in the women’s game.”

England is currently taking on India in a five-match contest and leads the series by 2-0. The third match of the series is being played today (Thursday), in front of a live UK television audience, at Taunton.