Women's T20: tri-series: BCCI defends 10 am start

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There is no doubt that the BCCI is making every effort to popularise women's cricket and capitalise on the euphoria generated after the ICC World Cup last year, where Mithali Raj & Co. ended up as finalists. The Board has done well in trying to spread the word across all mediums about free entry to the public for the T20 tri-series involving India, Australia and England, beginning at the Brabourne Stadium today.

However, the 10 am start for all matches in the T20 tri-series is something that could hamper spectator turn-out. When asked if the match timings could have been better, India's T20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur couldn't agree more. "Of course," she said, going on to add: "After the World Cup, the response we have got from everyone, is a big thing for us. Right now, we just want to play a good brand of cricket and our focus is only on the game."

A senior BCCI official explained the logic behind the morning start. "It's a private club. There was no possibility of having matches under lights. Then, the team that is not playing on the following day would want a practice session. So, that session can be scheduled in the afternoon, immediately after the match," the official told mid-day.

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