'There needs to be a commitment': Rachael Haynes weighs in on case for more women's Test cricket

Test matches are few and far between in the women's game but Australia is poised to host two this summer: against India from September 30 at the WACA Ground, and and Ashes showdown against England at Manuka Oval from January 27. Tickets are on sale from Monday afternoon.

Australia and England are the only two nations to play Test matches with any regularity, but even so they only come around every two years. Australia and India's Test will be the first the two nations have played in 15 years.

The rare nature of long-format encounters mean players are injected into the contest with little to no experience in four-day cricket.

It raises questions about the validity of four-day games being added to the women's domestic calendar as players push for more Test matches at the elite level.

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"I think that's a discussion point. The difficult thing at the moment within the game is we don't play any long-form cricket," Haynes said.

"It really is a baptism of fire, your first opportunity to play that format being at the international level. It is a real discussion point for administrators to come together and address.

"I think if they're committed to it they really should be allowing players to have the opportunity for that four-day format [at domestic level] which replicates what you need to do at the next level. That's one area that really needs to get addressed.

"If you look at the landscape of international cricket at the moment, there's probably only two countries in the entire world that have anything that looks remotely like a semi-professional domestic set-up, and they are England and Australia.

"It's something not just Australia but all nations need to come to an understanding that if Test cricket is the way forward, there needs to be a commitment, not just at the international level, but also domestically as well."

English and South African officials are in discussions about a Test match in 2022, while Australia will look to pull big crowds to Canberra for the city's second taste of Test cricket.

"It's been something the playing group has been pushing for for a while, and probably not just our side but internationally, there has been a real appetite and a push for more Test matches," Haynes said.

"It's really exciting as a player to have the opportunity to play that format. It's probably the ultimate test of you as a player, in terms of not only your mental application but your skill as well.

"There's a real excitement around the playing group about the opportunity to play two and hopefully there's more to come."

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