Facelift for women’s cricket — spare a thought for BCCI and Jay Shah

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai

During India’s tense run chase in the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final against Australia, the TV cameras zoomed in on Jay Shah — the ICC chairman riveted to the action, sitting alongside BCCI president Mithun Manhas. About an hour and a half later, as Jemimah Rodrigues pulled off a miracle at DY Patil Stadium and went into the embrace of her teammates, Shah must have felt a small glow of satisfaction. Let’s get it straight — without the BCCI, with him as its secretary, India’s rise as a powerhouse in women’s cricket wouldn’t have happened. 

From equal match fees for centrally contracted men and women cricketers to providing world-class infrastructure and support to the women’s team, Shah, as the cricket board secretary, revelled in his vision of Inclusivity. The real game-changer, however, was the introduction of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which gave Jemimah & Co the opportunity to rub shoulders with the very best in the world, improve their cricket and develop a big-match temperament. Proof came under the night sky in Navi Mumbai, in a chase of 339 for victory in a World Cup semi-final. Under pressure, Harmanpreet Kaur’s India sizzled, while Alyssa Healy’s Australia fizzled. 

While implementing equal match fees for both men and women cricketers in 2022, Shah had said: “I am pleased to announce BCCI’s first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing (a) pay equity policy for our contracted women cricketers. The match fee for both men and women cricketers will be (the) same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Indian cricket.”

The National Commission for Women (NCW) readily welcomed it, saying that it would herald a new era of equal opportunities as it was a significant advancement towards achieving gender equality. The India-Australia semi-final on Thursday had a turnout of 35,000 at the stadium. Fans in India have fallen for women’s cricket. 

The BCCI under its present dispensation continues with its endeavour for the wholesome growth of the game, cutting across genders and age groups. In fact, last year, before Shah moved to the ICC, the Indian cricket board introduced prize money for player-of-the-match and player-of-the-tournament awards winners in all women’s and junior cricket tournaments at domestic level.

After the introduction of the WPL in 2023, Shah had said that it would “revolutionise the way we look at women’s cricket”. Being a top administrator, he saw the future. He, as the ICC chair, spoke about how it would be massive for India and women’s cricket to host the ongoing edition of the Women’s World Cup. “The return of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 to India comes at a defining moment for the women’s game, setting the stage for a truly world-class tournament that will further elevate the sport’s global stature,” Shah had said (as quoted by the ICC) in August. 

He added: “At the ICC, we remain open to new ideas and are constantly exploring ways to sustain the upward momentum of women’s cricket.”

India are a win away from annexing the World Cup. But irrespective of the outcome of the final, this has been a successful campaign for the team. And as we celebrate the rise of women’s cricket, thanks are due to the BCCI that embraced a ‘cricket for all’ approach under the guidance of Shah.