AP – England women’s cricket captain Charlotte Edwards has warned her teammates of the dangers of taking part in the men’s game.
England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor has already held talks with the aim of playing for Sussex second XI this season.
Former Australia skipper Steve Waugh recently said it was time to consider adding one female player to each Big Bash League franchise.
Edwards, whose team take on Australia in one Test, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20s this year, applauds the higher profile women’s cricket has achieved in recent years.
But she believes the men’s game was a step too far, saying it would change players’ approach.
“I’m all for the girls pushing themselves outside their comfort zone but we have to be careful we are not training for men’s cricket,” Edwards said.
“From a captain and England perspective we want them training for women’s cricket. They are slightly different games.
“I would be slightly nervous of us wanting to play too much men’s cricket.
“We are international sports people and we want to do well.
“I would have to prepare slightly different from a women’s game. That’s the downside of wanting to play men’s cricket.
“Sarah is a wonderful player and I am sure she can adapt but for us it would be a back-foot game where women’s cricket is a front-foot game.
“You would have to train a lot more on the back foot to deal with the pace and the bounce.
“The guys move quicker in the field. For Sarah keeping wicket the ball is coming faster and at different heights.”
However Edwards, who was speaking in Harrow at the launch of an ECB initiative aimed at rejuvenating cricket clubs and getting facilities up to scratch, did not rule it out.
“I was only hearing the other day Steve Harmison (former England fast bowler) saying that if a girl was good enough then she should play. That’s brilliant from a guy who has played international cricket and taken a number of wickets,” she said.
“But from an England women’s point of view we are a stand-alone squad and we have earned a lot of respect over the last two years and I am really pleased where we are at.”
