Smriti Mandhana contemplating missing WBBL after hectic 2022

Mandhana, the India international, was on the books of Sydney Thunder last season but may not take part in the upcoming campaign - which is due to begin in mid-October - in an effort to preserve her fitness

Smriti Mandhana is considering making herself unavailable for the WBBL.

Mandhana, the India international, was on the books of Sydney Thunder last season but may not take part in the upcoming campaign - which is due to begin in mid-October - in an effort to preserve her fitness.

The batter has been involved in back-to-back series for the majority of the year, starting at the World Cup in New Zealand and including the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, The Hundred and now India's white-ball series against England, as well as Indian domestic cricket and other international commitments.

^{Smriti Mandhana has had a busy 2022 [Getty Images]}

"I think more than the mental part, it's about managing a little bit of physical part," Mandhana said. "Definitely I'll be thinking about pulling out of WBBL because I don't want to miss out on playing for India or having any niggles when I play for India because I want to give my 100 per cent when I play international cricket. So definitely I'll be thinking about playing or pulling out of Big Bash."

"I have been on the road for a while now. Post the one-day World Cup, I have been on the road with the domestic and the tournaments you mentioned [the Sri Lanka tour, the Commonwealth Games, the Women's Hundred]."

Mandhana emphasised that the increased volume of cricket on offer for women is no bad thing, and a direct result of the increased professionalisation of the female game. But she stressed that the positive developments still need to be properly managed.

"I just try to tell myself that because of Covid we haven't really played a lot of cricket and we really hoped that we came back and start playing cricket," she said.

^{Mandhana played for Sydney Thunder in last season's WBBL [Getty Images]}

"And now I can't be complaining that we have a lot of cricket on the platter. As a woman player we always wanted this sort of schedule for us.

"I'm really happy to be playing so much cricket and I've had my family over, like my mom is over here and she was here for The Hundred as well. So that also helps to be in a good mindset and the team-mates have been just amazing. It feels like we're a family together."

The WBBL schedule for the competition's eighth running is due to get under way on October 13, with Brisbane Heat facing Sydney Sixers.