Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has granted contracts to 20 women cricketers in 4 categories, to promote and expand the net of women cricket in Pakistan and abroad alike. This landmark decision has been lauded by cricketing circles.
These contracts are bonuses for Women in Green, who have just won the quadrangular series in Sri Lanka. The series included Holland, Ireland, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Talking to the media, a board official told, “The board has selected five girls for the contracts in each category.”
The categories include A, B, C and D. The payment also varies with categories. The A category will get Rs 50, 000, B Rs 35, 000, C Rs 20, 000 and D Rs 10, 000 per month.
The current skipper of Pakistan Women Cricket Team, Sana Mir, says, “The decision to give contract will surely be a big step towards further improving our playing standards.”
Women cricket has always been a taboo in the bigoted society of Pakistan. It is staunchly condemned by some religious and political circles.
Back in 1990s, when two sisters, Shaiza Khan and Sharmeen Khan, presented the idea of a cricket team for women, many fingers of opposition and many voices of criticism were raised all around the country.
The clergy and the right-wing political parties opposed it and the Khan sisters were given life threats.
Having passed through many court cases and assembly resolutions, women were permitted to form a team. It was a great revolution in the patriarchal society like Pakistan.
The women cricket team first went for a three-match ODI series against New Zealand and Australia in 1997. However, the Green side lost all three matches.
At the end of the same year, the team appeared in the Women cricket World Cup that was held in India but again lost all the five tournament games.
After constant hard work, the team claimed the Asian Games T20 title last year.
Analysts suggest that the contracts will encourage the young girls to incline towards the game and adopt it as a full time profession.
The board also plans to hold some domestic competitions for women cricket teams. However, there are certain hiccups in this way as religious groups will not tolerate it.
