UP Warriorz Chief Scout Neetu David Confident of WPL Turnaround

Newly appointed UPW Chief Scout Neetu David confident team can turn around WPL fortunes

By Adarsh Chauhan, Kanpur, August 26

UP Warriorz have appointed David, a former India cricketer and ICC Hall of Famer, as Chief Scout, strengthening the franchise's focus on identifying and developing emerging talent across the country.

The UP Warriorz reached the playoffs in the inaugural Women's Premier League season but finished fourth in the second season before ending the third and fourth editions at the bottom of the table. With David now joining the franchise's scouting setup, the former India cricketer said the team is focused on addressing the shortcomings that contributed to its previous performances.

Speaking to ANI, David said the team had made some mistakes in previous seasons but has made significant progress under head coach Abhishek Nayar, who now has a better understanding of the players. She added that the franchise is working to address past shortcomings and is determined to perform better this season.

"There were just some mistakes we made before, but after Abhishek came, many things have been changing. He was trying to understand the players in the first season, and while it didn't quite work, this season he is understanding the players very, very much. He has understood them very well, and we are working on it. The mistakes we made, we will recover from, and this time we will try to do better," she said.

Neetu David said women's cricket has changed significantly since the introduction of the WPL, pointing to Kranti Gaud and Shree Charani as examples of players who have benefited from the platform. She expressed hope that the league will continue to produce more quality players for India.

"[Women's cricket has changed] a lot. I think, for example, we now have Kranti Gaud; she has come from the WPL itself, where she got such a big platform. Shree Charani has come through as well, which is great. All these names have come from the WPL itself. And I hope that in the future, the more good players India gets, the more it will be because of the WPL itself," she said.

Touching upon her new role as the UPW's Chief Scout, David said she was pleased to join UP Warriorz and stressed that the team's priority will be to identify the best possible players, both Indian and international, and build a strong squad.

"I'm very happy that the franchise approached me and took me on as part of the WPL's UP Warriorz. I'm very happy about this. And obviously, our job is to choose the best players possible. Abhishek and the rest of our team will focus on this, so that whatever player comes in, whether they are international or from India, we will try our best to build a good team," she said,

One of the most distinguished figures in Indian women's cricket, David brings decades of experience across playing, selection and talent identification. In her new role, she will spearhead the UP Warriorz scouting programme, working towards identifying promising cricketers from the domestic and grassroots ecosystem and strengthening the franchise's talent pipeline, according to a press release from the franchise.

Born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, David is one of India's most accomplished women cricketers, having claimed 141 ODI wickets and the world-record figures of 8/53 in a Women's Test innings. Following her playing career, she served as Chairperson of the BCCI's All-India Women's Selection Committee, bringing extensive experience in talent identification and player development. Her contribution to the game was recognised with her induction into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2024.

David's appointment as Chief Scout reinforces UP Warriorz's commitment to building a strong and sustainable talent pipeline. With her deep understanding of Indian women's cricket, particularly the domestic ecosystem, she will work closely with the franchise to identify players with the potential to succeed at the highest level and strengthen the team's scouting network for the future.

— ANI