Sachin Tendulkar-like figure needed to change fortunes of women cricket: Sthalekar

Indian orgin Australia cricketer Lisa Sthalekar on Tuesday opined that women’s cricket needed iconic figures like Sachin Tendulkar, which can turnaround the fortunes completely. "While T20 has given a new lease of life to it, women's cricket needs a personality like Sachin for people to relate. Women have had a very important role especially in the genesis of over arm bowling and the World Cup, but still you might find some unpalatable comments flying your way,” Sthalekar was quoted as saying in Times of India.

Sthalekar’s book ‘Shaker’ was jointly launched at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai by former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar and former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson.

It was in the summer of 1996, when Australian women’s cricketer Belinda Clark went to Lawson with a request of letting her girls train with the men’s team. Lawson accepted with a condition that the women will get only five chances. It took three balls for Sthalekar to dismiss Mark Waugh. He was caught at first slip.The two-time ICC women cricketer of the year was born in Pune, she was later on adopted by Haren and Sue and ever since then Australia has been her home.

"When there is an India vs Australia match, I literally sit on the fence, but I love it when Aussies win."She is the first woman board member in the Australian Cricket Association (ACA) apart from being the first women cricketer to score 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in One-Day Internationals (ODIs).

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