As I write this article, India plays England in the 38th match of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Virat Kohli-led India is the only unbeaten team in the World Cup right now and only a single point away from the semis. Team India’s excellent form and the ease with which they’re winning every match, despite losing two of their star players to injuries, is a treat for all of us sitting in our homes. With our eyes fixed on the TV screens—jumping with joy at every six, being heartbroken at every wicket—all of us share the dream of seeing the Men in Blue lift the cup this year.
For the last few days, however, I’ve been possessed by a certain feeling of guilt. Each time I turn my TV on at 3:00 p.m. to watch the men play, a question pops up in my head that I don’t have an answer to. Where were we when our Women in Blue—probably the best Indian women’s cricket team we have seen in years—were playing their World Cup (which is equally ours, but we seem to forget) two years ago? Why were millions of Indians not hooked to their TV and mobile screens just as they are now? Sadly, even a men’s ODI garners more attention and viewership than the Women’s World Cup has.
By being indifferent to our women playing the sport our country considers a religion in its own, the simple message we’re sending to our young girls—who dream of playing for their country someday—is that it doesn’t matter how good they are or how dedicated they are, they will never reach the stature of their male counterparts simply because they are women! Yes, it is just as annoying as it sounds.
Dismal viewership and lack of interest to see the women play not just holds them back as sportspersons, but also leads to the striking disparity between the salaries of male and female cricketers in India. A grade A male cricketer earns an annual salary of ₹5 crore, a grade B of ₹3 crore and a grade C an annual salary of ₹1 crore. On the other hand, the annual salaries of the female cricketers are 50 lakhs, 30 lakhs and 10 lakhs for Grade A, B and C respectively. Doing the math, a female cricketer earns a mere 10% of the salary of her male counterpart. For a country that needs to empower its women, this is a huge step back.
So how do we bridge the gap between the men’s and women’s Cricket?
As individuals who spend a good amount of their time watching and discussing cricket, let’s watch the women play a bit more. Let’s talk about how good a ball they played a bit more; let’s talk about the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup a bit more; let’s give our Women in Blue the importance and appreciation they deserve and rightly so, a bit more.
Because when the men lift the trophy, Team India lifts the trophy; when the women lift the trophy, India lifts the trophy; and when both of them lift the trophy, the country itself is uplifted.