Warriorz — going big on quality as well as quantity as far as spin is concerned

UP Warriorz’s Sophie Ecclestone celebrates a dismissal against Royal Challengers Bangalore Women in the Women’s Premier League, at Brabourne Stadium, in Mumbai on March 10, 2023.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Shabnim Ismail is as quick as any bowler around in women’s cricket at the moment. She is among the most experienced seamers as well, with 314 wickets in international white-ball cricket for South Africa.

So imagine her shock at being told that she was not going to play for UP Warriorz in its match of the Women’s Premier League. “Sixteen years I have been playing and I have never been dropped,” she told Lisa Sthalekar, the Warriorz mentor.

“Welcome to the WPL,” Sthalekar, the former Australian all-rounder, told her.

UP Warriorz’s Rajeshwari Gayakwad celebrates a dismissal against Royal Challengers Bangalore Women in the Women’s Premier League, at the Brabourne Stadium, in Mumbai on March 10, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
ANI

Given the fact that Ismail was the main pace bowler in the Warriorz squad, she had every reason to believe that she could have a main role to play in her team’s campaign in the inaugural edition of the WPL. But, the Warriorz had dropped some hints at the auction that it was looking at spin seriously.

The franchise not just went big on quality but on quantity as well, as far as spin was concerned. That was deliberate, Sthalekar, who was an excellent exponent of off-spin herself during her long career, revealed, shortly after the slow bowlers of Warriorz starred in their team’s 10-wicket demolition of Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday night.

“Spinners are winners,” she said. “Coach Jon Lewis basically articulated the style of play he wanted. He felt coming into women’s cricket, spin plays an important role in T20 cricket. I am more than comfortable (with that idea); as you know, I am all for spinners.”

UP Warriorz’s Deepti Sharma in action against Royal Challengers Bangalore Women in the Women’s Premier League, at the Brabourne Stadium, in Mumbai on March 10, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
ANI

The formidable spin line-up of Warriorz has left-arm spinners Sophie Ecclestone, who is the ICC World No. 1 bowler in WT20Is, Rajeshwari Yadav, off-spinners Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris and leg-spinners Devika Vaidya and Parshavi Chopra. “From an auction point of view, we tried to complement all of them,” said Sthalekar. “We have a lot of talent,” she said.

About Warriorz captain Alyssa Healy being stranded on 96 not out, she said: “I know in certain parts of the world milestones are important, but not for her.