WPL to be held in February with larger window in home and away format

The Women's Premier League (WPL) will be played in the home-away format from the next edition onwards with a bigger window, most likely in February, a source in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed on Friday. The tournament's inaugural edition was held here from March 4-26 across two venues in Mumbai.

Earlier this month, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal told PTI that WPL would remain a five-team tournament for the next three seasons and be staged in the home and away format as that was "important for building a fan base". The BCCI source, however, said it would be tough to take the league to tier-2 cities such as Indore, which doesn't have a WPL franchise named after it. The source added that the ongoing discussions include postponing the WPL to later in the year, around Diwali, but something still needs to be finalised.

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Indo-Pak World Cup venue and Asia Cup still being discussed
The BCCI will wait for the directives from the Indian government on their participation in the Asia Cup 2023 as well as on Pakistan's matches in India during the World Cup, the source added, saying that all members are currently discussing the matter and a final call will be made after that. It was reported by PTI earlier that Pakistan is most likely to play a bulk of its ICC World Cup 2023 matches in Chennai and Kolkata, as the team has felt safe' at these two venues during their previous tours.

BCCI chairman of selectors to be announced before Afghanistan series
The BCCI hopes to appoint the chairman of selectors for the Indian cricket team before the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Afghanistan, which is expected to be held after the ICC World Test Championship final between India and Australia in June at The Oval.

The post has been lying vacant since the resignation of Chetan Sharma in February this year. The position is usually determined on seniority, as former India opening batter Shiv Sundar Das is the acting chairman post Sharma's resignation. For the WTC final, India's national coaching staff under Rahul Dravid and a few players with no role in the knockout stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will travel to England early to bolster the preparations, the source added.

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BCCI confident that Bumrah will be fit for World Cup
The BCCI is convinced that the ace India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, out of action due to a back injury, will be ready for the CWC. India will host the 50-over tournament later this year in October-November, and the schedule is expected to be declared soon.

The source clarified that the board would continue its policy of not allowing active Indian players to participate in various other Twenty20 (T20) leagues worldwide, including the proposed T20 league in Saudi Arabia. However, the franchises can have their presence as they have made in other competitions such as SA20 and International League T20. The source added that the International Cricket Council (ICC) revenue model would be decided in the next meeting in South Africa, but the dates are yet to be finalised.

(With inputs from PTI)