Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop has declared that women's cricket has firmly established itself as a standalone product, capable of drawing massive crowds even while competing with marquee global events such as the FIFA World Cup, men's Test cricket, and Wimbledon. Bishop, serving as an ICC Women's T20 World Cup expert, shared his views at JioStar's Media Day on Monday, 29 June.

Record Attendance at Lord's

The group stage of the tournament scripted history when a crowd of 27,163 fans packed Lord's for the India vs Australia Group A fixture — breaking the ICC Women's T20 World Cup group stage attendance record for the second time in 24 hours. That figure surpassed the 21,018 recorded at The Oval for the England vs New Zealand match just a day earlier. Overall, the tournament crossed 1,25,000 in on-ground attendance, making it the highest-selling ICC Women's T20 World Cup in history.

Bishop on the Game's Growth

'The women's game is a standalone thing. I think we've talked about that for a couple of years now,' Bishop said. He cited a personal example — his teenage daughter, who previously showed no interest in cricket, now wants to play every day at school. 'The gospel has been spreading more and more, and that is reflected also in the attendance,' he added. Bishop acknowledged that parallel sporting events may have tempered the numbers further, but maintained that the trajectory is unmistakably upward.

Batting Dominance and the Evolution of Women's T20

The tournament has been notable for its high-scoring character, with five scores of 200-plus recorded and multiple batting records broken. Bishop credited ground staff for producing surfaces where the ball comes on to the bat, while also pointing to the broader evolution of the women's game. He observed that Australia and England — the two highest-scoring sides — are unsurprisingly among the four semi-finalists. He also highlighted South Africa's Marizanne Kapp for her match-winning contribution, noting that top sides now combine dynamic batting with effective bowling variety. 'The dominant forces have been Australia and England, who have scored runs, but who also have bowling lineups that are able to hold their own against most other competitors,' Bishop explained. He warned that lower-ranked teams such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are being left behind in power-hitting, and stressed that bowlers across the board must now adapt to the new reality.

Fast Bowling Gap and the Call for More Pace Options

Bishop identified fast and seam bowling as the most urgent developmental need in the women's game. 'I want to see more fast bowling, seam bowling options come through because we have a lot of spin,' he said, naming Shabnam Ismail as a benchmark. He argued that governing bodies must actively search for pace options to complement the spin-heavy landscape that currently defines women's T20 cricket.

Praise for Associate Nations and a Plea for Autonomy

Bishop was effusive in his praise for qualifier nations, singling out Babette de Leede and Sterre Kallis of the Netherlands, Darcey Carter and Katherine Fraser of Scotland, and Iris Zwilling for her disciplined bowling. He also noted Ireland's established quality, referencing Orla Prendergast and Amy Hunter. He acknowledged that many Netherlands players are amateurs juggling careers and university education, and called for greater professionalisation and administrative support. His central recommendation was that cricket boards — at local, national, and international levels — give dedicated, autonomous arms to the women's game so it receives focused investment and attention. 'Give them autonomy so that they have all the attention... to pour more into the women's game, and it will get even better. So that would be my cry from here on,' he concluded.

With the tournament having already rewritten attendance benchmarks, the semi-finals will test whether the momentum of this record-breaking group stage can carry through to the final.