India women’s team captain Mithali Raj has attributed poor attendance in international matches to lack of television coverage, reported PTI.
Raj was speaking to the local media in Potchefstroom on Sunday after beating hosts South Africa by eight wickets to lift the quadrangular series that also included Ireland and Zimbabwe. It was the fourth time that India beat South Africa in their last five outings, but there was a very small crowd to witness the final.
Raj said they got a lot of positive feedback from fans in India who followed the squad’s international games on the Internet, but they were keen to watch the matches on TV.
“Back in India, we do have a lot of people coming and watching the matches,” Raj said. “It is important that we market the sport. If we are playing a series, or a bilateral series, it is important that it is broadcasted because a lot of people back home are so inquisitive to know the result of the game,” she added.
Raj’s side has been on a roll in recent times, going through a 16-match winning streak in One-day Internationals. The 34-year-old also etched joined an elite club during the quadrangular series by registering six consecutive scores over 50.
While there are a handful of fans who watch women’s cricket online, Raj urged the board to telecast the matches, “They do follow it over the net, but if it is broadcasted, it can make a huge difference for the profile of the game as well as for the players.
“Unfortunately, that (the issue of broadcasting) depends on the home board,” Raj said.
Raj and her team will travel to England next month to play the World Cup, where India is pitted against Australia, the hosts and New Zealand.