Why Women’s Cricket is not as Popular as Men’s Cricket Tournaments?

In the cricket world or any other sport, women’s teams are often not given as much importance and popularity as men’s sports. It is often called a highly biased system where women’s cricket has not achieved the fame it truly deserves. Even though men’s and women’s teams work equally hard to get the trophies in hand for their respective countries, the popularity of the men’s tournaments is much higher and covered by the media. Let’s check out some of the primary reasons why men’s cricket is given more importance even in today’s modern times:

Gender Bias

Gender bias is definitely one of the main reasons why women are not given much importance today. On the other hand, it is often perceived that cricket is a majorly male-dominated sport, and that is why women are not given the kind of respect that they truly deserve. Men are given more recognition because of the thought process and general conceptions of viewers in different countries.

Unequal Pay

Women cricketers have openly agreed that they get paid much less than men in the same sport. Especially when it comes to cricket, the men get paid in millions while women have to struggle to even collect the basics as per their needs. This is one of the primary reasons why there is discrimination against women, and that feeling trickles down to the masses. 

Reduced number of Sponsors

As the women’s cricket team does not gain much importance and popularity, they also do not attract sponsors who would want to promote their sport and activities. As the cash inflow is low, there are no promoters of women’s cricket, and that is also why their visibility is low. On platforms like social media or the news, coverage of the women’s cricket team and their achievements is pretty low. 

Non-availability of Women-Specific Equipment

The popularity of women’s cricket is also impacted by the difficulty in finding equipment that is suited specifically for women. Women are forced to carry equipment that was designed for men in the first place. The lack of equipment has also reduced the importance of women and their cricket/sport. For example, the equipment is too heavy, and the bats are much heavier. They are not made to suit women. 

Lesser Opportunities

In many countries, the presence of a women’s cricket team does not exist altogether. You can see a men’s cricket team, but women in those countries are not given the right opportunities or training to play the sport in the first place. The reduced exposure leads to the non-availability of coaches to train women in cricket and gameplay. The countries with a team are also not entirely keen on providing opportunities for women to improve their skills and compete compared to men in the same geography. That is why the popularity is less, and it is not expected to grow any time soon. 

In conclusion, the disparity in popularity between women’s and men’s cricket is rooted in a mix of historical biases, unequal funding, media coverage gaps, and societal expectations. While progress has been made, with increased investment and more visibility for women’s tournaments, there is still work to be done. By promoting women’s cricket more robustly, offering equal resources, and challenging outdated perceptions, the sport can achieve a more balanced and inclusive popularity. Closing this gap not only benefits women in cricket but also enriches the sport as a whole, inspiring future generations to participate and support without gender bias.