Women’s cricket post-2017

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Pic Credit: Business Standard


By Naman Suri

“No matter where you come from, we all share the same struggles as human beings, and my beginnings are no different.”

~Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a Jamaican track and field sprinter



Women’s cricket has been breaking records for the past few years, as it has seen a massive surge in its popularity, and the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup final between India and Australia was reaping these gains. A record 86,174 people were in attendance for this match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia. Women are now starting to enjoy the same benefits as men's cricket.


This surge in popularity can mostly be attributed to the inclusion of shorter formats into the game, for both men’s as well women’s cricket. But that too started back in 2004, the first women’s T20 international match played between New Zealand and England. The more appropriate thing to say here would be that the addition of franchise leagues has been the core of this surge in the popularity of cricket in general.


The belief that the game requires physical strength, which women lack as compared to men is absurd and this can further be exemplified by something that The Marleybone Cricket Club (MCC) has stated on their website: 


“Cricket has traditionally been seen as a “male” sport, despite the fact that women have played the game for just as long as men. In 1963, England captain Len Hutton famously said during a charity match against a women’s side that women playing cricket were “absurd, like a man trying to knit” (the women went on to win the match). Views like Hutton’s were once common.”


In India, it is believed that the women’s rise in popularity is because of their rise to the final of the ODI World Cup in 2017 as it did for men when Kapil Dev and his team went on to win the 1983 World Cup. Even though the women weren’t able to secure the title, their hard work and determination didn’t go unnoticed. 


As Punam Raut says in an exclusive interview with IANS, “We did very well in the 2017 World Cup in England and from there on, things changed drastically for women's cricket in India. Our matches started getting broadcasted and had good media coverage and even parents became more accepting about girls playing cricket.”


This is not all The Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Pakistan Cricket Board both have announced that in 2023 they would be conducting Women’s IPL and Women’s PSL respectively. This is a big stride in the game for women as it will provide the women with the same level of viewership opportunities as men, as would be the financial backing coming with it. That will drastically help more women to take up the game,  share the same limelight as men and help celebrate women all over. 


Women’s cricket in India saw another boost in its struggle to promote the game, the BCCI recently announced that it will make the match fees for both men and women equal, introducing pay parity in the game. Although the difference in central contracts remains the same, it is believed as soon as the women’s franchise league takes up the flight, the financial backing to eliminate this difference would be there. 


Women’s cricket still has to go through a lot of struggles, but one big step today is going to be the stepping stone for them tomorrow.

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