Men Get So Much Support, Says Shafali Verma As She Rues Big Pay Difference Between India's Male And Female Cricketers

Before the start of the T20 World Cup in Australia, India’s women team’s young batting sensation Shafali Verma has spoken on the big difference between the salaries of Indian male and female cricketers. The Indian women cricketers must have been feeling jealous of their Australian counterparts because of the way latter are treated in their country.

Unlike the Indian women cricketers, the likes of Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy and others Australian women cricketers are paid as much as the men and play in front of packed stands.

In Australia, the final of the fifth edition of the Women’s Big Bash League drew a sell-out crowd in Brisbane last year, underlining the growing appeal of women’s cricket. The T20 World Cup final, at the 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground, could attract a record attendance for a women’s sporting fixture, exceeding the 90,185 at the 1999 football World Cup final in Pasadena, California.

To their credit, Australia have also done exceedingly well on the field. They have won four T20 World Cup titles so far, and are hot favourites to make it five when the tournament starts on Friday. On the other hand, India are yet to win any global tournament.

And as the Women in Blue try to win the T20 World Cup, Shafali Verma pointed out the big gap between the salaries of male and female cricketers. She said that the male players get more support while calling for women cricket to be supported more. At the same time, she admitted that the situation would improve if the team does well on the field.

“There is definitely a big gap,” Shafali Verma told AFP.

“The men get so much support and us, after doing so well, we should be supported more. But it again it boils down to playing well. If we play better, then we will slowly but surely get recognition, as does men’s cricket,” she added.

Things have definitely improved for women’s cricket in India since the team made it to the final of the 2017 World Cup.  In 2018, there was a one-off women’s T20 exhibition match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In 2019, BCCI turned the Women’s T20 Challenge into a three-team event in Jaipur in 2019.