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The Laws of Economics

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 Cups. 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.