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On a difficult pitch
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The women's cricket team is on a high following the Asia Cup victory, but captain Mamta Maben rues the lack of support
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DURING A transit halt at the Chennai airport, the Indian women's cricket team captain Mamta Maben conveyed by the expression on her face and bearing that she was greatly elated. As the press photographers were in a fluster jostling each other for the best angle, Mamta Maben was enjoying all the adulation, raising the Asia Cup to her face, placing it against her cheek and smiling brightly. For Mamta the captain, the Asia Cup victory, achieved in Colombo by beating the Sri Lankans, crowns a series of triumphs.
Mamta looks much younger than her 33 years. It is interesting that she took to the willow game at a time when a girl playing cricket was seen as someone who was hopelessly swimming against the tide. She played competitive domestic cricket at age 17.
"I have always been a tomboy," she smiled impishly. "As a school student, I used to play cricket with the boys and used to be taunted for this. However, no amount of derision could weaken my resolve to become a cricketer."
Good for Mamta that she never had to wave aside objections from her family. For they wholeheartedly accepted her interest in cricket, though it meant she played more with boys than girls. "Matters improved considerably when I entered college. At NMRK College in Bangalore, where I studied, there were facilities enough for girls to play cricket."
Meanwhile, the attention that her teammates were receiving from the press at the airport temporarily allowed you to believe something that is not true. "Looks like women's cricket has come into its own?" you asked her.
"Not really. The interest (in women's cricket) that you see is superficial. Though there are signs of hope by way of a few corporate houses like Asmi coming forward with sponsorships, there is a lot to be desired. Corporate houses that are keen to have men cricketers on their payroll, unchivalrously give us the cold shoulder. Except for the Railways, I do not think there is any other structure that extends the benefit of a quota system to women cricketers. All of us are playing cricket because of our love for it. It helps to keep in mind that because of our enthusiasm for the game, many of us have failed to survey the other professional options that were once open to us."
There is more by way of hurdles for women cricketers. "Marriage. With many a women cricketer, cricketing ambitions sink under the weight of familial responsibilities." In the same breath, she added that there were, however, a few women cricketers who could balance the two efficiently.
PRINCE FREDERICK
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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