Hijab clad women cricketers pitch for equality

Agencies
October 2, 2017

Kashmir, Oct 2: Her hijab firmly in place, she slings her bat across her shoulders and rides her Scooty to college and practice, challenging not just her rivals on the cricket field but also societal and religious stereotypes.

As captain of the women's cricket team in Baramulla's Government Women's College, Insha is one of the young women setting trends in this suburban town in north Kashmir and in the Valley.

"Bekhauff azad rehna hai mujhe (I want to stay independent without any fear)," sings the 21-year-old fourth-semester student of the Government Women's College who successfully led her team to lift this year's inter-university cricket championship in the Valley last week.

Her brave words -- taken from the title track of Aamir Khan's talk show "Satyamev Jayate" -- are echoed by others who walk the tightrope between tradition and passion, playing cricket even if it means doing so with their hijabs, a scarf covering the head and neck. Some even play with the burqa.

Like Rabya, a first-year student, an all-rounder who manages to bat, bowl and field with the burqa when she's in Baramulla. When she plays in Srinagar, she opts for the hijab.

"I cannot go against the wishes of my teachers at Darasgah ( a religious school where she gets her Islamic teaching)," said Rabya.

The all-rounder on the team, the daughter of a daily wage labourer, is from the Jamaat-e-Islamia dominated old town of Baramulla.

Insha, too, wore her burqa when she first started playing, but the patriarchal society in which lives did not take it well and often taunted her. An undeterred Insha now wears a hijab and confidently drives her Scooty to college with her bat.

"The journey has not been smooth. When I walked in my tracks with a cricket bat, people would complain to my father. My family was supportive," said Insha, a multi-talented sportsperson who has represented the Jammu and Kashmir women teams in not just cricket but also volleyball.

Her passion for cricket was noticed by her Urdu professor and was backed by college authorities who levelled a small ground for cricket practice. "I was amazed by Insha's performance and wanted her to do something in the field. However, lack of infrastructure in our college and the absence of any clear-cut policy on sports were stumbling blocks," said Rehmat-Ullah Mir, who attributes his broad-minded thinking to his education in Hyderabad from where he completed his PhD in Urdu.

"A campaign on social media was started with the hope of getting some help, but the comments from the male-dominated society were discouraging. Then, with the help of the college principal, we decided to form a team and compete within the university," he added.

Building a team was a herculean task. Two physical trainers of the college -- Gurdeep Singh and Showkat Ahmed - helped train women students. Insha, who had played at the national level, helped with additional inputs on warm-up exercises.

"I learnt stretching and warm-up exercises during my camps outside the state. We also want to do something in sports and have petitioned the government many times for opening a training centre here but to no avail," she said.

The other big hurdle was overcoming familial opposition. Consent from parents was mandatory.

"We have some good players like Rabya. Her parents agreed but only if she was allowed to play with her burqa on. Others also gave their consent but only if they are allowed to wear their hijab," said coach Gurdeep Singh.

When the entire team was being photographed after winning the inter-university tournament, Rabya was the only girl who walked away as her religious teachings prohibited her from getting photographed.

Rabya knows cricket may just be a transient phase in her life and she might have to one day give it up. Being the eldest of four siblings, she said she knows she has to set "an example".

Insha's father Bashir Ahmed Mir, who runs a fruit business in Baramulla, said he is proud of his daughter and hopes she will continue with cricket.

"Kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna," he said, recalling an old Bollywood song.

"I don't care about what people say and would rather focus on what my daughter wants. She was a tomboy from the time she was a child. All I wanted her to do is pursue her dream. I am thankful to her coaches Gurdeep Saheb and Showkat Ahmed for training her well. Cricket is only a game but they have developed in her a fighting spirit," he added.

Gardener Mohammed Ashraf Parray, who doubles up as groundsman, also takes pride in the girls' achievements.

"I feel very happy when these students play and win. I feel that my efforts have not gone waste," he said.

He regrets the many restrictions on girls. "Today, girls are equal to boys in everything. Then why this discrimination?"

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News Network
January 18,2020

Hobart, Jan 18: In a dream start to her second innings after a two-year break, Sania Mirza lifted the WTA Hobart International trophy with partner Nadiia Kichenok after edging out Shaui Peng and Shuai Zhang in the final, here on Saturday.

The unseeded Indo-Ukrainian pair pipped the second seed Chinese team 6-4, 6-4 in one hour 21 minutes.

Playing her first tournament after giving birth to son Izhaan, the 33-year-old Sania has begun well in the Olympic year as she warmed up for the Australian Open in style.

It is Sania's 42nd WTA doubles title and first since Brisbane International trophy in 2007 with American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Sania did not compete on the WTA circuit in the entire 2018 and 2019 seasons to start a family with Pakistani cricketer husband Shoaib Malik.

Sania and Nadiia began by breaking the Chinese players in the very first game of the match but only to drop serve in the next.

The two pairs played close games towards the end and at 4-4, 40-all, Sania and Nadiia got the crucial break, earning the opportunity to serve out the set.

There was no twist in 10th game with Sania and Nadiia comfortably pocketing the first set.

The second set could not have started better for them as they broke the Chinese rivals to take early lead and consolidated the break with an easy hold.

The game of the Chinese was falling apart as they dropped serve again in the third but broke back immediately to repair some damage.

Sania and Nadiia were now feeling the heat at 0-30 in the sixth game but Peng and Zhang let them hold serve for a 4-2 lead. The Chinese though kept fighting and made it 4-4 with another break in the eighth game.

The Indo-Ukraine team raised its game when it mattered as it broke Peng and Zhang for one final time in the ninth and served out the match in the next game.

Sania and Nadiia split USD 13580 as prize money and eared 280 ranking points each for their winning effort.

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News Network
January 14,2020

Sydney, Jan 14: Retired South African big-hitter AB de Villiers on Tuesday said efforts are on to ensure his comeback in the national team for the T20 World Cup in Australia, a plan in which his IPL form will play a crucial role.

Speaking to Cricket Australia's official website 'cricket.com.au', the 35-year-old swashbuckler said he would love to be back two years after calling it quits internationally. He is currently in Australia to play in the Big Bash League.

"I would love to. I've been talking to 'Bouch' (new South Africa coach Mark Boucher), (new director of cricket) Graeme Smith and (captain) Faf (du Plessis) back home, we're all keen to make it happen," he said.

"It's a long way away still, and plenty can happen – there's the IPL coming up, I've still got to be in form at that time. So I'm thinking of throwing my name in the hat and hoping that everything will work out," he added.

De Villiers, nonetheless, is keeping a check on his expectations.

"It's not a guarantee, once again. I don't want to disappoint myself or other people, so for now I'm just going to try and keep a low profile, try and play the best possible cricket that I can and then see what happens towards the end of the year," he said.

"There are a lot of players (involved with CSA) who I used to play with. Guys who understand the game, leaders of the team for many years" he said of the present dispensation.

"So it's much easier to communicate than what it used to be in the past. They understand what players go through – especially players that have played for 15 years internationally.

"It doesn't mean that everything is going to be sunshine and roses, but it's definitely a lot easier and it feels comfortable, the language that's being used and just the feel that everyone has at the moment in South Africa about the cricket," he added.

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News Network
May 15,2020

New Delhi, May 15: Former England skipper David Gower feels Sourav Ganguly has the right "political skills" to lead the ICC one day and he has already displayed that as BCCI president, which is a "far tougher job".

The elegant left-hander is very impressed with Ganguly's leadership abilities and believes that he has what it takes to head the global body in the future.

"One thing I have learnt over the years is that if you are going to run BCCI, you need to be many, many things. Having a reputation like he (Ganguly) has is a very good start, but you need to be a very deft politician.

"You need to have control of a million different things," Gower said ahead of "Q20", a unique chat show for the fans presented by 'GloFans'.

Gower reckons being president of the BCCI is the toughest job imaginable in world cricket.

"And of course, you need to be responsible for a game that is followed by, I mean, should we say a billion people here in India," he said.

"We all know about the immense following for cricket in India. So it is indeed a wonderful thing to behold. Sourav has the toughest task imaginable in charge of BCCI, but so far I would say the signs are very good.

"He has listened, given his own opinion and has pulled strings gently," he said.

Political skills are a must in administration and that's where Gower finds his fellow left-hander ticking all the boxes.

"He is a very, very good man and has those political skills. He has the right attitude and can keep things together and will do good job. And if you do a good job as BCCI chief in the future, who knows?

"But I would actually say the more important job, to be honest, is running BCCI. Being head of ICC is an honour, there is a lot that can be done by ICC, but actually look at the rankings, look at where the power is heading up. BCCI is definitely the bigger job," he said.

On the cricketing front, Gower believes World Test Championship has given the format much-needed context.

"The idea of this World Test Championship has come about for one very simple reason that people are worried about the survival of Tests. Back in the seventies, eighties, I don't think we needed context to be fair.

"Test cricket was very much more obviously the most important format and if there was anything to be judged by, it was the performances in Test matches both as an individual and as a team.

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