Can’t really see women’s test cricket evolving at any particular speed: ICC chair Greg Barclay

England captain Heather Knight has backed five day-Tests and England bowler Kate Cross said women cricketers were fit enough to cope with the physical demands of longer matches after the drawn Ashes test in January.

“Most people would say five days are required,” Barclay told the BBC. “If they are going play it, my personal view is they should have five days to play it in.”

The only countries to have played a women’s test match in the last five years are England, Australia and India.

Barclay added that shorter formats of cricket were “the way of the future” for the sport, saying one-day internationals and Twenty20 cricket were more appealing for fans.

“It is where broadcasters are putting their resources,” Barclay said. “It is what is driving the money.

“To play test cricket you have got to have structures domestically. They don’t really exist in any of the countries at the moment. I can’t really see women’s test cricket evolving at any particular speed.

“That’s not to say any countries that choose to play test cricket can’t do so. But I don’t see it being any part of the landscape moving forward to any real extent at all.”

Rly disappointing comments from ICC Chair Greg Barclay on women’s cricket on @bbctms. Sounds like he’s 10 yrs behind the game he’s supposedly trying to run:

“I can’t see women’s Test cricket evolving @ any particular speed at all […] don’t see it being part of the landscape.”

— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) June 3, 2022

In a post on Twitter, former player-turned-broadcaster Isabelle Westbury said Barclay’s comments were “disappointing.”

“The people involved in Afghan cricket assure me they are doing everything they can to get the women’s game better established and what has happened is hopefully something of a blip in that process,” Barclay said. “Some other members have also had slow progress in developing a women’s game so let’s give it time.”

Australian cricketer Rachael Haynes said as a reaction to the comment that it was ‘absurd and offensive’

“The most troubling part of this interview were the comments on Afghan cricket. To say the Taliban’s takeover is “a blip in the process” of establishing womens cricket in Afghanistan is absurd & offensive. Give it time is an unacceptable position when it comes to human rights,” Haynes tweeted.