There hasn’t been much buzz about our women’s cricket team playing in T20 cricket world cup. All the focus is on men’s side. We may very well be in for a surprise from green shirted women, and they might be able to do what we are expecting from our men to repeat.
If we look into the recent form of Pakistan’s women cricket team, it is not impossible to expect this from our women cricket team.
Pakistan’s women cricket team did not participate in women’s cricket world cup from 1973 to 1993. I am sure most people in Pakistan did not even know there was such thing. In 1997 women’s cricket world cup, Pakistan’s women cricket team achieved 11th place. In 2000 world cup, the team did not participate again. In 2005, the team wasn’t even able to qualify. From out of nowhere they shocked everyone in 2009 and reached 6th place.
This is remarkable given the team’s history in previous world cups—where just participating and qualifying was such uphill task.
In the 2010 T20 world cup practice match few days ago, Pakistan’s women cricket team comprehensively beat West Indies. It is remarkable—given the previous history—that they are ranked 5th and are serious contender to reach semis and even go beyond in the world cup currently underway in West Indies.
It is also all the more remarkable given the sorry situation of women’s social indicators in Pakistan—where they are deliberately held back in society—and given very little chance to prove themselves.
If one asks a young girl in Pakistan who is her role model—I don’t know if that young girl would be able to name a female role model—because there are so few of them in Pakistan.
The success of our women’s cricket team is more important than we think. It will give tremendous confidence and hope to young girls watching them on TV at home or hearing about them. It will not only create role models for them, but it will instill that feeling and confidence in them that they can do whatever they want to.
Our women’s cricket team needs all the support that they can get. The fact that they are one of the 8th team playing in world cup is a victory in itself, if they reach the semis or final that will be the icing on the cake.
If we look into the recent form of Pakistan’s women cricket team, it is not impossible to expect this from our women cricket team.
Pakistan’s women cricket team did not participate in women’s cricket world cup from 1973 to 1993. I am sure most people in Pakistan did not even know there was such thing. In 1997 women’s cricket world cup, Pakistan’s women cricket team achieved 11th place. In 2000 world cup, the team did not participate again. In 2005, the team wasn’t even able to qualify. From out of nowhere they shocked everyone in 2009 and reached 6th place.
This is remarkable given the team’s history in previous world cups—where just participating and qualifying was such uphill task.
In the 2010 T20 world cup practice match few days ago, Pakistan’s women cricket team comprehensively beat West Indies. It is remarkable—given the previous history—that they are ranked 5th and are serious contender to reach semis and even go beyond in the world cup currently underway in West Indies.
It is also all the more remarkable given the sorry situation of women’s social indicators in Pakistan—where they are deliberately held back in society—and given very little chance to prove themselves.
If one asks a young girl in Pakistan who is her role model—I don’t know if that young girl would be able to name a female role model—because there are so few of them in Pakistan.
The success of our women’s cricket team is more important than we think. It will give tremendous confidence and hope to young girls watching them on TV at home or hearing about them. It will not only create role models for them, but it will instill that feeling and confidence in them that they can do whatever they want to.
Our women’s cricket team needs all the support that they can get. The fact that they are one of the 8th team playing in world cup is a victory in itself, if they reach the semis or final that will be the icing on the cake.
source: http://www.pakspectator.com/
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