WPL can offer young players a pathway to the Indian side: Mooney

A week after scoring a match-winning 74* in the summit clash of the ICC T20 World Cup in South Africa that powered Australia to their record sixth title, Beth Mooney is all set to lead Gujarat Giants in the first edition of the Women's Premier League. 

Ahead of their tournament opener against the Mumbai Indians on March 4, Saturday at the DY Patil Stadium, the skipper was excited about the league and the challenges ahead for her and the team. 

“I think there is a good amount of excitement around, and there was a little bit of a chat at the Women’s T20 World Cup about what the WPL was going to look like, and I think everyone’s just really excited and raring to go now,” said Mooney in a press release. 

“The game has evolved at a very rapid pace over the years, back in Australia and globally as well. I had not made my Australia debut before the conclusion of my first season of WBBL, which gave me a lot of confidence to perform on the world stage against some of the best players going around. I think that’s what the WPL will do, it could offer the young players a pathway into the Indian side and compete with the best,” she further added. 

The southpaw stressed on the importance of giving the young players the freedom to express themselves and also making them understand their role in the team as the key to success in franchise tournaments. 

“Understanding the personalities and how to work with them will be essential, and I think the team that can do that the best and get the best out of each other will go a long way in terms of being successful."

“Just stay in the moment and play what is in front of you and play the game and not the people around you. It is easy to get caught up in the situation and the crowd, or if you’re bowling to a very big international player, but if you just worry about yourself, then it will probably go a long way in helping you execute your skills and plans,” Mooney signed off. 

Gujarat Giants will face the Mumbai Indians on Saturday, March 4, before stepping onto the field at the same venue on Sunday, March 5, against the UP Warriorz in an evening encounter. 

Gujarat Giants Squad:

Beth Mooney (Captain), Sneh Rana (Vice-Captain), Ashleigh Gardner, Sophia Dunkley, Annabel Sutherland, Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, S Meghana, Georgia Wareham, Mansi Joshi, Dayalan Hemalatha, Monica Patel, Tanuja Kanwer, Sushma Verma, Hurley Gala, Ashwani Kumari, Parunika Sisodia, Shabnam Shakil