Opinion Express View on ICC Women’s Cup 2023: Her own field

From an afterthought in the corner of cricketing wilderness, women’s cricket in India has leapt into mainstream consciousness, capturing the imagination of the country. There is buzz before games and tournaments, anticipation and expectation; there are identifiable superstars, and familiar faces in prime-time ad space on tv. The next month or so will be the busiest in Indian women’s cricket, with them hosting England and Australia in a clutch of matches including two Tests, a rarity in Indian cricket.

The back-to-back Tests, one apiece against Australia and England, are in sync with the general liberation of women’s cricket from its dark, neglected times in the last two-three years. In another four days, an intense bidding war is expected in the auction of the Women’s Premier League. WPL, like IPL, has broadened the talent pool, with players emerging from the cricketing backwaters, from Rewa district in MP to Wayanad in Kerala, and the broadcast rights money for WPL-1 has fetched more money than IPL-1. As importantly, BCCI-contracted women cricketers get paid as much as the men. Thus, pay parity, prize-money, exposure, a packed calendar, access to high-class coaching and training facilities have given women’s cricket a substantial impetus.

Advertisement

But the picture still has shades of grey. For 11 months, since the exit of Ramesh Powar, the Indian team did not have a permanent head coach, with coaches appointed on an interim basis. A lack of continuity has affected the team’s progress, and the gulf in quality between leading teams like England and Australia still remains. Encountering the top two teams in the coming days, thus, would throw a reality check on how far Indian women’s cricket has travelled and how much farther it still needs to go to be considered a top side. The board could also spread the game to different corners of the country, instead of squeezing all games in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Women’s cricket must also discover its T Natarajans and MS Dhonis. It must emerge from the long shadow cast by men’s cricket, and become a brand of its own.