Mithali Raj asks a question we have no answer to – ‘Do you ask a male cricketer his favourite female sport icon?’
- She was just asked her favourite ‘male’ cricketer
- She is also called ‘Tendulkar of women’s cricket’ but does she need that tag really?
- For the women - we never Bleed blue - despite the number of matches they win or the records they notch up.
FollowNo matter how much a woman achieves in life, the mountains she climbs or the glass ceilings she smashes and in cricketer Mithali Raj’s case – fours and sixes – she is always asked what about the man in her life? When is she getting married? And now.. ‘who her favourite men's cricketer was between India and Pakistan?’
On the outset you may ask why such a big deal is being made out of this question? She was just asked her favourite ‘male’ cricketer. Only thing, it reeks of sexism and I would certainly applaud her because she was correct in giving the journalist a piece of her mind.
On the eve of the Women's World Cup, Raj, who was attending the opening dinner and media roundtable event, was asked who her favourite men's cricketer was between India and Pakistan, reports ESPNcricinfo. She answered:
"Do you ask the same question to a male cricketer? Do you ask them who their favourite female cricketer is?" she said to the journalist in question. "I have always been asked who's your favourite cricketer but you should ask them who their favourite female cricketer is.”
Please remind me when was the last time a Virat Kohli or an MS Dhoni was asked who would be their favourite among India and Pakistan women cricketers? Let me see… how about never?
There is more to this kind of questioning, Indian cricket means Team India –the Men in Blue and for the women - we never Bleed blue - despite the number of matches they win or the records they notch up.
Mithali became the first Indian and second in women’s ODI history to complete 5000 runs after England’s Charlotte Edwards and this is just one statistic from her impressive records. She is also an Arjuna Awardee and a Padma Shri Award winner.
Here is an excerpt from an interview in BrainFeed magazine, where she was asked about her nickname ‘Tendulkar of Indian Women’s Cricket’ and her feelings about it. This was her answer:
“When people refer to me as Tendulkar of women’s cricket, I accept it as a compliment because what he is in men’s cricket is huge. No one can come anywhere close to his achievements but on the flip side I also feel that people should acknowledge me as Mithali Raj for I worked very hard to create the identity of my own in this field and would love people to know me by my name.”
Do her statistics not talk for themselves? Or is it that we have run out of questions to ask a woman sportstar when she aces her game? We are willing to concentrate on Sania Mirza’s skirts and tee shirt slogans, Jwala Gutta’s married life, and physical appearance but when it comes to acknowledging women for their skills, talents and ability, and lauding their sporting performance, we only pay lip service.
From sponsorship to facilities, from television rights, to endorsements, from fame to adulation - it has always been the men's cricket team that takes the lion share. The women cricketers - do we even know them?
This is how the world treats women sportstars:
During a post-match interview at the Australian Open, top-ranked tennis pros Serena Williams and Eugenie Bouchard were both asked by male journalists to show off their outfits on the court. This was Williams response, "I wouldn't ask Rafa [Nadal] or Roger [Federer] to twirl."
Oh, sexism exists and not only on the field but also related to women off the field dealing with sports, for example Mandira Bedi and Mayanti Langer .
This June while India was facing Pakistan in the qualifying rounds of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, Mayanti Langer was the commentator. Unfortunately, the match had to be interrupted due to rain and some trolls, finding nothing better to do decided to target Mayanti’s outfit. While she was discussing match strategies and game play, people were commenting on her physical appearance and choice of wardrobe.
We all enjoyed Chak De India, why? Because it is Shah Rukh starrer, does anyone remember the girls who made the movie memorable? No. The movie brought women’s hockey from behind the curtains, not that it has benefited the team or the game in any manner. So, now I guess to shut some mouths, we will need a movie on women’s cricket.
Can some please tell Priyanka or Deepika that a superhit awaits them?
