Indian team focussed on clash against Pakistan despite WPL auction: Harmanpreet

The Womens Premier League auction is just around the corner but India are firmly focussed on their T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan as they aim to emulate the U19 girls titlewinning feat insisted skipper Harmanpreet KaurThe WPL action is slated to be held on February 13 in Mumbai a day after Indias T20 World Cup opener against PakistanBefore that the auction we have a very important game and we are just going to focus on that Harmanpreet said at the T20 World Cup captains press conferenceThe World Cup is more important than anything else Our focus is on the ICC trophy These things will keep coming and as a player you know whats important for you and how you need to keep your focusWe are all mature enough and know what is important for us she addedLed by Shafali Verma the Indian team won the inaugural U19 T20 World Cup last month and the senior side wants to add another ICC title in Indias trophy cabinetAfter watching the U19 World Cup we are motivated to do what they have done They have motivated us to do well they have done it and we have not done it yet Harmanpreet saidIt was a very special moment for all of us and after watching the U19s many of the girls back home will also want to play cricket and thats always our aim to motivate young girls who can come and play cricketThe flamboyant Indian skipper hoped that the WPL will play a similar role in contributing to the growth of Indian womens cricket like the Womens Big Bash and The Hundred have done in Australia and EnglandIts a really big day for all of us because we have been waiting for years and years now The next two or three months are very important for womens cricket We have seen how the WBBL and the Hundred have helped their countries improve their cricket Hopefully the same will happen for our countryHaving played in the Kia Super League WBBL and Hundred Harmanpreet is keen to see Indian youngsters getting the opportunity to rub shoulders with international starsThat is something which has a very different feeling When I got that opportunity it was the biggest lifechanging moment Other girls will also experience this It will be a great opportunity to improve cricket and grow the gameAuction during the WC will be awkwardNew Zealand skipper Sophie Devine and her Australian counterpart Meg Lanning feel the WPL auction being held in the first week of the T20 World Cup will be awkwardDevine labelled it the elephant in the room as she feels players will struggle to not think about itAll Indians competing in the T20 World Cup which starts on Friday and several internationals players have put in their names for the WPL auctionIts going to be awkward some people are going to get picked up some wont and youre going to get a value attached to what youre worth which as human beings isnt the nicest thing but its also a job and its what weve put our names in for Devine saidIts such a unique experience I think youd be naive to think that its not going to be a distraction its just how you handle that But I just think its such an enormous step forward for womens cricket and Im really looking forward to it but theres a World Cup going on at the same time so how we manage that is going to be importantLanning reiterated Devines thoughtsAlso readHarmanpreet Kaur joins forces with leading sports brand as brand ambassadorAs Soph said its a little bit awkward but its just trying to embrace that and understanding its actually a really exciting time and you actually dont have a lot of control over most of it so youve just got to wait and seeThe entire Australian 15member World Cup squad has registered for the auction Up to seven overseas players of which one must be from an Associate nation can be picked per teamIts a new experience for us and at the same time we are focusing on what were trying to do here which is the most important thingTheres no right or wrong way to do that and everyone individually will deal with it as they wishI think its important that youre always working as a team but also letting people deal with it how they feel is best Lanning addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever