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By Sunayana
With the exciting game in Hyderabad on
Saturday, 15th November, the Indian Cricket Team
gave their fans the much-needed reassurance in
their team. The cricket fans now see their team
no more as mere underdogs for the finals in Eden
Gardens, Kolkota. Though it may sound as sheer
excitement since it is coming from me being an
Indian Cricket fan myself, it does not seem
impossible. The match did show what the team is
capable of. Sehwag showed that he is not just
merely good in accelerating the run-rate but
also in steering an innings that helped shape up
a humungous score. The match also gave the fans
a rewind to see the flamboyant Tendulkar that
they were so used to. And most importantly gave
all the adrenaline of the fans a big high with
Dravid’s innings, which proved to be one of the
most elegant yet fast fifty scored by an Indian
since a long time. All said and done… we could
surely say that the Indian Cricket Team surely
has proven that it is not in any position fading
out from the start it got this year with the
NatWest Series and the World Cup.
Now seeing this match, it put me to wonder
what is on with the other Indian Cricket Teams.
the U-19 Team surely did prove their
capabilities with their performances in the last
two World Cup. And the future for the Indian
Cricket in this way seems to be bright. But what
about the other Indian Cricket Team, the Women’s
Team. Why is it ignored in such a manner in this
country? Why does it need to be emphasized that
it is the Indian Women’s Cricket team when we
speak about them? While upon this I tumbled on a
article by Shantha Rangaswamy on the state of
Indian Women Cricket. With due respect to her, I
am quoting her views here. She says:
I just can't resist but write on women's cricket
at this juncture. How many of us are aware that
the women revolutionised the game? Originally it
was played with underarm bowling. Those days,
the women joined their men folk for the weekend
games. As the ladies wore long skirts, they
found their clothes an impediment and therefore
devised the over arm bowling which changed the
course of the game! And as if this wasn't
enough, it was the women who played the World
Cup first. The first World Cup for the men was
played in 1975 in England. But not many are
aware that the first women's World Cup was
played in 1973 in the U.K.. It was the
brainchild of Rachel Heyhoe Flint, the then
English Captain, who persuaded a sponsor to hold
the event which England went on to win. The men
were not far behind as they took a leaf out of
Flint's book and the Prudential Cup was staged
in 1975. No wonder the women are referred to as
trendsetters!
This shows that the Women’s Cricket did make
noise as it began and that it does seem to be in
a good position every where. Also she adds on an
interesting bit of information which seemed to
be new to me, that At present, the men and women
of England, New Zealand, Australia, and South
Africa have a common Cricket Board. The
advantages are varied — from top class venues to
expertise. But the Asian countries, India,
Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, are retaining their
separate entities. With the Sri Lankans and
Pakistanis being comparatively new entrants in
women's cricket, it is imperative for India to
have a single Board to manage cricket, whether
it is for men or women. That is the only way the
game can be popularised and made more appealing.
But then, will the Boards merge? Only Mr. Dalmia
can answer this. But then he never may.
Well coming from a legend like Shantha herself,
who is much bigger an icon in Women’s Cricket
than Sachin Tendulkar himself. It does seem like
a big voice, but sadly there has not been much
notice. The Indian Women’s Team does seem in a
good position today, and all it needs is the
necessary infrastructural help with which it
will come to better state where it can be
recognised for its true worth.
But will this appeal just remain merely as just
some more words… which it very much looks like…
as the cliché goes, only time will tell. But
with my own cynicism, coming from a country
where the issue of Sachin’s Ferrari was made
big, I surely think not.
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