When Mithali Raj was recently asked who her favourite male cricketer was, her prompt reply was: “Do you ask the same question to a male cricketer? Do you ask them who their favourite female cricketer is?” While the Indian women cricket captain’s reply was smart, the question sounded outrageous. Yet, the query is testimony to the lack of popularity of women’s cricket in India.
Recognition or rewards can’t be compared to the men. The brouhaha is missing, stardom is limited. Despite so many impediments, women cricketers like Mithali let their performance do the talking and demand respect, from the same set of people who worship their male counterparts.
The captain of the Indian women cricket team created a world record on Wednesday, which not too many might have even noticed. It did not feature in prime time discussions on TV. That’s the reality. And that’s what Mithali laments. Yes, there seems to be some kind of chauvinism in play when it comes to promoting the women’s version of the game.
The Indian cricket board reluctantly brought women’s cricket under its umbrella in 2006 after the ICC made it compulsory for all cricket boards. Even then, there is huge disparity in terms of payments. An A Grade cricketer in the women’s cricket team gets less than one-third of a C Grade men’s cricketer (Rs 15 lakh against Rs 50 lakh). India’s captain Virat Kohli gets an A contract which amounts to Rs 2 crore per year. When it comes to promoting the women’s game, the Indian cricket board does little. There is no regular television coverage. There’s no social media or brand promotion.
The BCCI has only recently started making an effort to make sure that it becomes a regular feature on television. It is also trying to organise more matches. But despite all this, women’s cricket is a long way off what women’s tennis or badminton have achieved so far.