Women's domestic cricket in India is a tough terrain

Women’s cricket in India has come a long way in the past five years. Increased broadcasting, rising popularity and increased fixtures. Even though women’s cricket is still not quite where the dreams rest, what seems subpar now used to be a dream five years ago.

Even though considerable efforts are being made at the international level, the question still remains the same, Is women’s cricket kept unequal at the domestic level in India?

Matches make a player. But how do you raise the standard of Indian women’s cricket if no worthwhile domestic tournaments are being held?

Compared to the six men’s domestic tournaments excluding the Indian Premier League that are held every year, women’s domestic categories are just divided into two: 

The U-19 category and the senior women’s category. Only a few, if not a handful, matches are played in the Women’s senior One Day Trophy and the Women’s senior T20 Trophy, before calling it a day.

This lack of opportunity is a grave concern for the future of women’s cricket in India. The long debated Women’s Indian Premier League has always been pushed farther in the future on the account that there are no ‘domestic players’ to choose from. All the while, no efforts are being made to set up new domestic tournaments to raise the standard.

When we talk about the opportunities at the grassroots level, we can say that it is a rough pitch, where you’re likely to get caught on a rugged patch and hurt yourself.

Club cricket in India for young girls is a tough place to be. Deficiency of either coaches themselves or the zeal to teach young girls the gentleman’s game.

U-19 players have to play matches with the U-16 or sometimes even the U-14 boys because of a lack of opportunities at the club level. There are no setup for inter-club, inter-school or inter-state matches when it comes to women’s cricket. The root is the cause.

Like an unspoken rule, associations give more priority to men’s cricket. Women’s teams are casually asked to clear out stadiums for the men’s teams and moved to a college cricket ground to carry out the rest of their practice sessions.  

If you are a woman in cricket, chances are you’ve heard the terms “you throw like a girl” and “you run like a girl” casually being passed around by male and female coaches alike.

Prompts are given before every camp; a strict dress code must be adhered to, No shorts. No sleeveless shirts. Followed by the infamous “the boys stare.”

Women can achieve the highest mark in cricket, but they will still be asked questions about men, their bodies and when they will settle down. 

The most famous incident being when the legendary Mithali Raj was asked who her favourite male cricketer was, to which she starkly questioned back if any male cricketer was asked who their favourite female cricketer was.

State Associations in India do not lack money. They lack will. Money is not an obstruction, and neither is talent. Domestic cricket, at the moment, lacks structure and good administration. 

The associations should realise that with investment comes results. Better administration, increased fixtures and better training facilities will only result in soaring success for the associations.

Women’s cricket is and will be different from men’s, and the state associations have to play their due part in recognising the needs of women’s cricket, Gender sensitisation, safety measures and representation. Associations need to make sure no roadblocks stand in the way of their success.

It is a well known fact that women’s cricket has been neglected far and wide, domestically and internationally. So the question arises; is women’s cricket in India a reflection of Indian society. 

Women’s cricket has always been seen through the lens of their male counterparts and stripped of their own identity.

Despite their hardships and deprivation of recognition, women in cricket have blazed the trail. However, women’s path to glory is a fight against prejudice, discrimination and inferiority. 

We need massive cultural and administrative reforms. Until that is done, women will only be chasing after mirages and not medals in international tournaments.