- Indians are crazy about cricket and cricketers are stating the obvious requiring no further elaboration on the matter. Such has been the exalted position accorded to cricket in our daily lives that the sport is considered no less than a religion in India. The popularity, following, and passion for the sport are unbelievable with no signs of ebbing visible on the horizon. Little wonder, scores of sponsors line up to sign the marquee, and promising cricketers who also do not mind loosening the purse strings to associate with the game in whatever form. The mindboggling revenue is generated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India vis-à-vis team sponsorship, digital rights, broadcasting rights, in-stadia advertising, kits, and sundry other stuff associated with the outfit.
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- So much so that, Team India men’s cricket team is placed on a pedestal and the players are at par with the celebrities and renowned personalities in terms of acceptance. The introduction of the cash-rich and lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 cricket has only further helped to spread the reach of the game wide and far. While the men’s cricket team basks in glory and men’s cricketers are the toast of the nation, women’s cricket simply appears to have not taken off on expected lines despite the BCCI and the ICC making every effort to strengthen the latter. The moot point to ponder over here is why women’s cricket continues to languish as compared to their male counterparts who are much sought after everywhere. Let’s dwelve on the matter in detail.
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- The Women’s Premier League (WPL) hasn’t set the fire or caught the imagination of the cricket-crazy Indian fans yet. Ahead of WPL 3, the women’s cricket report card is complex, but its forward direction is clear though. Team India won the inaugural ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup and is smashing it at the second one as well. They have won all their group matches as if the opposition wasn’t worth its name. This is already a much better showing than their seniors lately who crashed out of their T20 World Cup last year in the group stage, followed by a 3-0 drubbing in an ODI series in Australia. For critics, this poor performance has been a stick to beat WPL as well. With the 3rd edition of WPL set to take off mid-Feb, stocktaking of what it’s done for women’s cricket is merited.
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Indeed, the picture is not all rosy. Fitness standards continue to be a sore spot. Performance standards lag Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League. Comparisons with the men’s game, everything from the size of contracts to the audience can be disheartening. But IPL is about to see its 18th season. Over most of these years, India just didn’t have structured women’s cricket. Nevertheless, signs are encouraging. Yes, these years have been transformative for the sport’s ecosystem. Where earlier there used to be only posterboys, heroine-worship is also hip now. Footfalls have soared at women’s academies. Parents now see cricket as a career pathway for their daughters. Impatience with the women’s game at this stage smells of prejudice. Let’s wait for some more time.
