+xLimited overs cricket.. specially T20, is too ingrained into womens cricket. Lanning should be getting enthused over the announcement that additional Test matches will be introduced to the women's schedule. Ask each of our women whether playing an Ashes Test rates above an ODI or T20 game. Betting their answer is an emphatic yes. Time the ICC sanctioned Test matches for all competing women nations.
Baggers this post is offensive to Women's cricket. Women's test matches predate my year of birth and I'm in my 40's.
It may even predate yours. It goes back to 1934.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Test_cricketThe women want money. Let them try and make some money. Seriously. They don't care what form of cricket they're playing, they want to be professional cricketers. Once they're rich, they'll pick and choose formats like the men do.
They need fans. They need a viewer-base. That starts with t20. I'm not sexist and I am a cricket fan, but I don't care for women's cricket as yet. Maybe I will in the future. But I just don't right now. If the women won't pay to watch them, they need to capture the male audience. Which seems to be their approach. Personally, I'd rather watch women's tennis right now. But that may change in the future.
But right now, it's survival economics, the top female players want to be professional athletes and not work day jobs as well. Fair enough. But where does the money come from if its not self funding?
Big 3 countries can pay them, Ind, Eng, Aus but non Big 3 countries like NZ pay our men's team less than Sheffield Shield cricketers earn. Do the math. NZ, SA, WI cannot even keep its top international cricketers and coaches out of domestic pro t20... so until the women's cricketers have profitable viewership, there will be less tests... it's about money!
But women's test cricket - is a thing, and has been for 84 years...
Intl men's cricket is dying. And women's is on the rise. But there's an issue here. Only Ind, Aus and Eng are above average salary, so until the have's share more with the have not's - cricket looks destined to end up being only Ind, Aus and Eng intls at top and domestic pro with global cricketers. That's the economic reality for top level cricket. Look at Basketball. Look at the baseball. Soccer is different, as it is a religion even in poor countries.
You confuse your passion for cricket with the entertainer's desire to get paid. It's their job or they want it to be so. Did you ever report in journalism subject matters that were not your preferred so as to have in journalism, same for women's t20... They want money!