What a breathtaking finish to a truly remarkable Women’s World Cup. The result may have not gone India’s way, but the tournament went a long way in turning the spotlight on Mithali Raj & Co.
Their individual and collective performances in the tournament fired the imagination of the country like never before. We finally found our female stars in India’s cricket team, much like we have in Olympic sports.
But the fact that it has taken India 12 years to reach this far is a sad commentary on the state of women’s cricket, since it was merged with the men’s game worldwide. There was a bit of resistance at first, but it was finally followed by acceptance by the then all-powerful BCCI in 2005.
Since then till about four years ago there was a general disregard to women’s cricket, at least in the higher echelons of cricketing power. The way the women’s game was dismissed would make you cringe at first, then make you realise that this is it for the sport in India.
It was as if they had been done a favour by being given the same umbrella as the men to play under.
The most telling aspect of this came in 2013 during the last Women’s World Cup. The squad was in absolute shambles and generally directionless. There was no plan, it was as if the team was almost assembled to lose. The performance left a lot to be desired with the squad being knocked out in the group stage.
Before the 2013 World Cup it was a generally accepted that India was the fourth strongest, behind Australia, England and New Zealand team in women’s cricket. West Indies had just about started to make a splash, while South Africa and others were just on the verge of making it on the big stage. But the disregard from the Indian team off the field (read: the powers that be), meant that slowly that exalted position just started slipping away. The result was West Indies snatched India’s position on the high table and even an unfancied Sri Lanka beat the girls at the 2013 World Cup. Even as the Indian team were losing in 2013, former captain Diana Edulji raised a red flag and lamented at the state of the game then. She was mocked at and generally brushed aside by everyone.
At the International Cricket Council (ICC) level there was always hope that if India buys into women’s cricket, then there was hope for the sport worldwide. But the general lackadaisical approach, in fact, at times, complacent attitude to women’s cricket since the merger, especially under the famed old guard, the game started slipping.
The newer countries in women’s cricket like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh-showed a far more positive approach, providing annual retainer contracts to the players. The Indian administration on the other hand, just could not understand what all the fuss about the sport.
World Cricket Needs India to Rise
The ICC Women’s Championship, guaranteed regular bilateral cricket for all sides from 2014-2016. A tournament was introduced essentially because sides like India were not playing regular bilateral cricket. There were times when the girls would go without months of any matches.
The points from certain games went into deciding placings on the table and qualification for the World Cup. India missed out because political considerations forced them to forfeit the contest against Pakistan. This proved costly as the team then had to then play the qualifier to make it to the World Cup. It is therefore a commendable achievement that Mithali Raj’s girls made it to the final of the World Cup.
Also, since the merger the BCCI was reluctant to play women’s Test cricket, despite regular requests from the players. Finally, in 2014 the women had their request granted. India played not one but two Tests after eight years. The first of those Test matches was against hosts England, and it resulted in a historic win. Thereby proved to be a turning point for Mithali & Co.
Changing Times, Sort Of
The fact is that the pressure of the Lodha report and its emphasis on cricket being an inclusive sport with all forms (women’s, differently abled and men’s cricket) being under the BCCI banner has forced a change of attitude.
Now, India’s best female cricketers get to play in Twenty20 leagues in Australia and England. You can see the impact that has had on Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana in particular. There was an announcement of annual retainer contracts in 2015 for two Grades (Rs 15 lakhs and Rs 10 lakhs), but nothing has been heard of it since then.
India’s former female stars got one time benefit money during this year’s IPL. A lot of talk about that was around how current Committee of Administrators (CoA) member Diana Edulji is driving the project for her own ilk. Even now there is a whisper campaign against Edulji because she is an outsider who is now on the inside, exactly the reverse of their gripe against her in 2013.
Author’s Take
A lot more needs to be done for women’s cricket in India. It needs to be looked at as a separate project altogether, with a Director of Women’s Cricket or a similar role being carved out. That in itself will ensure that women’s cricket in India has a separate vision and mission.
Else we would have to wait 12 more years for a repeat of the 2017 show, with continued ad-hoc appointments like this time of a head coach and a bowling coach.
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