The Indian women's team continues to be at the crossroads when it comes to tours, matches and money in cricket as compared to the men.
Follow Us
After the drought, comes the flood. This is the current plight of the women’s cricket team in 2021. For 364 days, the India women’s cricket team did not play a single match due to the coronavirus pandemic. From that epic final in Melbourne in March 2020 till 2021, the India women’s cricket team did not even play a single game. At the same time, the BCCI under broadcaster pressure and stakeholder influence bent over backwards for the men’s team to resume cricket.
There was no outrage when India‘s tour to England, which also involved South Africa was canceled. The fact that women cricket stars played only four games when the IPL had a mini-break highlighted the vast gulf in fairness. In 2021, fans are celebrating the fact that India is playing a Test after seven years in England and 15 years in Australia. However, it is also a reflection of the low yardsticks that we have set for the women.
Imagine, we are celebrating when they are playing two Tests in a year! Two Tests? Have we lowered our yardstick to such an extent that we have taken the policy of anything is better than nothing too seriously? If the India men’s team had played only two Tests in whole year, the media would be devoting massive airtime and printing pages after pages of information on newspapers and websites.
Not only is the number of games too little, the pay disparity is massive. The BCCI once again announced the Senior Retainer contracts for women. In that, there is Grade A, Grade B and Grade C. The disparity begins right from the grading.
Consider this. The India men’s cricket team has a Grade A+ category, in addition to Grades A, B and C. The pay scale factor is simply too shocking to comprehend. The highest category for women in Grade A means they will get Rs 50 lakhs. That is 14 times less than Grade A+ of the men which is Rs 7 crore. It is 10 times less than Grade A, which is Rs 5 crore for the men.
One more discriminating factor. The lowest for the men in Grade C is Rs 1 crore. For the women, it is Rs 20 lakhs, five times less. So, no men’s cricketer earns less than a crore in Indian cricket. There is no outrage for this. In India, the sons always get preferential treatment to the daughters. India might be changing, but the change is only cosmetic.
The India men’s cricket team have a fixed cycle of playing these many numbers of Tests, ODIs and T20Is. If god forbid, the series is under threat, the BCCI will bend over backward to ensure that the men continue to be the revenue-generating machine. The IPL 2021 is a classic case. They are exploring windows, even ready to play overseas just to ensure their golden hen does not stop laying eggs. For the women, not a word was mentioned about the Women’s T20 Challenge being cancelled.
The lack of matches impacted them during the series against South Africa. They lost the ODIs 1-4 and the Twenty20 Internationals 1-2. In tougher situations in England and Australia, they may be found wanting.
Even during the coronavirus times, England, West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia all played bilateral series. All were behind closed doors. But, the Indian women’s team was the last to play. The earlier series in England was cancelled due to ‘logistical issues’. Surely, BCCI had the capability to get the women’s team for a series in a chartered flight.
From 2016 to 2020, only two Tests were played and that too was the Woman’s Ashes. There has not been a three-Test series for the women in 21 years. India last played a three-match Test series in 1995/96 against England while they played a six-Test series 46 years ago. From 2007, there has been eight Ashes series. West Indies and Pakistan last played a Test in 2003/04. Sri Lanka have played only one Test and that was way back in 1997. In the last 22 years, the decision to just play a maximum of two Tests is truly baffling.
The BCCI are making up for lost ground by organizing series against Australia, England and at home to the West Indies. But, the pay disparity and the yardstick of expectations that have been set is way too low. The question of a semblance of equality is missing when it comes to the Indian ethos. But, in 2021, it is necessary for the ICC and the BCCI to ensure more women’s Tests take place. ODIs and T20Is are great and they are the engine of growth for women’s cricket. But, Test cricket cannot suffer.
Rishabh Pant's explosive last-over blitz ignites IPL 2024 amid T20 World Cup comeback talks
