How close is Indian cricket to gender equality? | Cricket news

The last month has been interesting for women cricket. Marylebone Cricket The Club (MCC), the cricket guards, decided to remove the term batsman. It was replaced by dough in an effort to bring gender neutrality to the game. Then there was the adorable ad from the 90s, which was re-created on the cricket ground.
A recent football test played by an Indian women’s team in Australia is considered an attempt to market a women’s test size in women’s cricket, as it has been done in a men’s game.
There has been some conscious movement in it gender equality in sports. Maybe this is a good time to scratch the surface and figure out how far Indian cricket has moved on that front.
Pink ball concept
Former Captain of India Anjum Chopra believes that the pink ball test seems exciting, but it is unfair to Indian cricketers who are thrown deep when they barely play any test matches. The skills required to play a longer form are different. Most of these players are not used to playing with a red ball and now suddenly they are asked to play with a pink ball. It’s a nice step forward anyway, he said.
Diana Edulji, a great Indian women’s cricket and someone who has served as an administrator on the Management Committee (CoA), the main thing is that test cricket has to be a regular feature in Indian women’s cricket. If other countries do not want to play the tests, India, Australia and England should continue the tests. More players will appear. We should go back to the time we had two days of games, he said.

The pay gap
There has been a lot of talk about the pay gap between male and female cricketers in India. However, Anjum and Diana don’t think things are as bad as they seem. There is movement on this front.
It’s a good time to be a cricket woman. I don’t see a female cricketer getting the same pay as a male cricketer right now. The women’s team must continue to perform and win the World Cup. It will take time, but it will certainly happen, Anjum estimates.
Diana finds it very practical. You can’t equate it to men’s cricket in terms of its marketing value. As the BCCI has taken over women’s cricket, pay has risen tremendously. They cannot complain that they do not receive their payments. Players present performances and are recognized for it.
Infrastructure and gender sensitization
BCCI has always been guilty of neglecting the needs of cricket women. Over the last five years, things have started to change.
Former Indian inn Saba Karim, who served as CEO of BCCI from 2018 to 2011, spoke about the challenges he faced when he took office. Indian sports reflect Indian society, Karim notes. It is important for the growth of women in India to make them understand that they have their own identity. They can run alone. We need young girls to get into BCCI art at an early age. Gender sensitization comes into play then, Karim told TOI.

It was a conscious attempt to improve women’s comfort. The facilities that the boys enjoyed, the corresponding facilities had to be given to them. Make cricket stadiums gender-friendly, including NCA. It was made available to the girls.
Even state academies. The country’s infrastructure rose. There were many complaints that the training facilities and ground conditions did not match the mark. The changing rooms and washrooms needed to be improved, he added.
According to Karim, the state association needs to invest a lot and they need to start inter-district cricket and women’s cricket.
Full-size female IPL
Anjum believes that a full-fledged women’s IPL will bring gender equality to sport in the country. Not only does it encourage young girls to play sports, it shows a lot of respect for female players. If they start playing in the same stadiums and tournaments as men, then the mutual respect between male and female players is, he thinks.
Edulji is meant for a separate window, although the board continues with the four-team T20 challenge. First, a separate window must be found for the women’s T20 challenge. Next year will be held 10 team IPL. In women’s matches, it’s hard to push. A separate window gives them space, he thought.
However, Karim believes that there is currently no link between gender equality and women’s IPL. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. We first need a solid and dynamic domestic structure. India, for example, has started playing test cricket. We need to have a domestic multi-day format. An IPL occurs whenever it needs to happen. It helps women in cricket growth. At this point, it is equally important to have a stronger foundation at the domestic level, Karim pointed out.