Rao, who has been playing for USA since 2011, had a spectacular tour, taking a tournament-leading 5 wickets at an economy rate of 3.54 against Trinidad and Tobago U19.

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

Earlier this year, the ICC Development Committee endorsed ICC Americas' decision not to schedule the only women's tournament in the region delivering a blow to the small but growing community of women's cricketers in the U.S.

In a piece for The Huffington Post, Nadia Gruny, the Program Director at WWCA wrote: "In the 21st century, an international sports governing body is demonstrating that women sports are still subjected to male hegemony. The women cricketers are not asking for new opportunities; but rather for a basic benefit of continuous access to sports competition -- a benefit which the men and youths continue to enjoy." 

WWCA is no armchair critic.  The organization has worked hard at women's cricket development, relying on its own resources and network.   In March 2014, WWCA arranged a four-day camp by Mumbai Indians coach Robin Singh, in Morristown, NJ.   A second WWCA camp was conducted in June, led by the powerful duo of Stephanie Power, former West Indies Women Assistant Coach, and West Indies star all-rounder, Stafanie Taylor.

It was primarily due to the efforts of the WWCA that an American women's team toured Trinidad in October where they played two T20s and one 35-over match against a national Trinidad and Tobago 19-and-under women's team.   Akshatha Rao, 30, who was part of the team, called the initiative undertaken by WWCA a trailblazer. 

Picture (Right) - WWCA Women and T&T U19  [Courtesy - WWCA]

"The tour was an amazing opportunity to get out there and play some quality cricket against a very competitive side," Rao said.

Rao, who has been playing for USA since 2011, had a spectacular tour, taking a tournament-leading 5 wickets at an economy rate of 3.54.  A master off-spin bowler who joined the USA women's national cricket team in 2011, Akshatha is also a core player on the Northern California Cricket Association (NCCA) and in the Atlantis Cricket Club women teams.   Akshatha is also the only woman cricketer to play in the NCCA men's league for the Sunnyvale Cricket Club in California.

DreamCricket.com caught up with Akshatha Rao about the tour and about playing women's cricket in the U.S.

Picture (Right): Akshatha Rao in action against Bangladesh at ICC World Cup Qualifier [Courtesy - ICC Americas]

DC: In the Caribbean, you have played in Cayman Islands and Barbados. How was it playing in Trinidad?

AR: Playing in Trinidad was a fantastic experience. I was the highest wicket taker and this was my personal best bowling performance. The pitch was slower than in Barbados and Cayman Islands so it favored my spin bowling. It also rained a few days before so the pitch was a bit moist and the batters had a difficult time facing my bowling.

The competition in Trinidad was harder. These girls are part of a very strong setup. From what I understand, Trinidad has the most organized women’s cricket structure in the Caribbean and has league competition for almost every age division. In fact, I know a few West Indian women players go to Trinidad to play domestic league cricket in between their international tours.

DC: What were the biggest takeaways from the tour? 

AR: There are no shortcuts in cricket. You have to put in the time and you have to be very disciplined in your approach to your game. The competition is stiff out there so you have to take every opportunity to work hard and get an edge over your competition.

DC: How did you start playing cricket?

AR: I have been an athlete from a very young age. At the age of 11, I represented India in swimming and brought home a bronze medal from the Asia Pacific Swimming Championship.

I took up cricket very early and by the time I turned 15, I became pretty serious. I won sports scholarship and played for four years as a member of the AMC College Women’s Cricket program even as I earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering with honors. Around this time, I was drafted into the internationally renowned Karnataka Institute of Cricket (KIOC) women’s team.

DC:  How did moving to the US impact your cricket?

AR: My cricket has improved since I moved to the US. I have had better opportunities to compete internationally and compete with a more diverse group of women locally as well. USA's women's cricketers come from Pakistan, the West Indies, South Africa, the US, and of course, India.

Picture (Right): Akshatha Rao at the WWCA Camp earlier this year  [Courtesy - WWCA]

I’ve learned various styles and also I have had a better opportunity to learn different personalities as well and how their cultural and historical backgrounds have impacted their cricket. It’s been a huge learning experience and with the pool of players being relatively small in the US, you know everyone and the competition within the small group becomes tougher because you don’t want to be left out.

DC: Most women's cricketers think there is no cricket for them in USA, can you walk us through your cricketing path? 

AR:  There are women playing in all parts of the country.   You just have to look for it and you will find it.  I found my entry point when I heard about a selection tryout in 2010.  It was for the North West Region women’s team.  I played for the NW team in the USACA national tournament and the following year.  I subsequently earned a place on the USA national women’s team.  

In 2011, I went on my first USA tour to Barbados for a high performance training camp.   The same year, I was selected to play for USA in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier.

When I am not competing against other international teams, I play local cricket. Recently I was a key contributor to the Atlantis women’s team which won the first place at the Georgia Women’s Cricket Association’s T20 championship earlier this year.   All these have significantly contributed to the improvement in my game and I have a fairly busy cricket schedule.

DC: By DreamCricket's estimates, there are fewer than 300 women's cricketers in USA.  Do you think there is a chance for cricket to be adopted by girls in this country? Have you been involved with cricket development?

There is definitely a chance for cricket to be adopted by girls in the U.S. All it takes is for the opportunities to be presented to them and I am positive they will love it. Yes, this takes money and an organization with this mission but in a country with so many resources, this is possible and one day we will get there.

In the meanwhile, I am deeply involved in the development of women’s cricket. I have mentored dozens of young women to take up cricket and I serve as a coach in the NCCA, and we get cricketing talent from all across the country. I also have been volunteering with the Worldwide Cricket Academy to help with the women’s program. It takes a lot of work but the outcomes are so gratifying that it’s difficult not to want to be a part of cricket development.

---

Women’s cricket in the United States is developing rapidly, but still has far to go to catch up with other sports like basketball or soccer.  In the absence of top-down development, it is the efforts of organizations like WWCA and players like Akshatha Rao, who can also coach, mentor and serve as role models to young cricketers, that will take take women’s cricket in USA to the next level.