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Field of dreams: Heading into the women’s Cricket World Cup
The Indian women’s cricket team has come a long way from sleeping in dormitories and struggling for sponsors. As they head into the 2022 ICC ODI Women’s World Cup, the team’s two legends, captain Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami tell it as it is
What does it feel like to be a legend in one’s lifetime? India’s women cricketers Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, ace batter and pace spearhead respectively, wear their laurels lightly.
Raj, 39, holds the world record for most runs in women’s international cricket. She is also the senior-most active international cricketer in the world, When Chris Gayle, the marathon man in men’s cricket, made his international debut in September 1999, Raj had been playing for three months.
Goswami, 39, is the world’s highest wicket-taker in women’s ODIs and is regarded as one of the greatest woman fast-bowlers of all time. They both marked two decades in international cricket this January.
In their time on the pitch, Raj and Goswami have seen women’s cricket move from the shadows and into the spotlight, in India. When they started out, the team still shared dormitory rooms and slept on the floor on domestic tours. Flights were as rare as sponsorship deals. They had no access to National Cricket Academy facilities run by BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).
Reaching the 2005 ODI World Cup final in Australia brought attention to the team, and things began to improve. BCCI finally took over the administration of women’s cricket in 2006. Pay, training, infrastructure and access to expertise began to improve.
There is still such a long way to go. To cite just one parameter, playing time and tournament schedules are so sparse and neglected that Raj and Goswami have played only 12 Tests since their debut. Time and again, the team have turned up at World Cup tournaments having played no international cricket for up to a year; sometimes that last international bout was another World Cup.
Still, they made it to tournament finals, brought home wins and records. By the time India made it to the finals of the ICC ODI Women’s World Cup in 2017, more than 180 million people around the world were watching, according to International Cricket Council data.
Now, Raj and Goswami are hoping to top it all off with a World Cup win. This will be Goswami’s last attempt. It could be Raj’s too.
Ahead of the 2022 ICC ODI Women’s World Cup, which begins in New Zealand on March 4, excerpts from an exclusive interview.
You weren’t exactly friends at first. Tell us about your first meeting.
Raj: We were playing an U-19 national tournament. I was playing for South Zone and we were up against East Zone. I heard about this new fast bowler who came from Kolkata. I had my first glimpse of her when she came in to bowl. Jhulan was slim and very tall, and got me out off the first ball she bowled to me. I was clean bowled for a duck.
Goswami: Before that game, Mithali had already played for India and we all had a great regard for her batting ability. One of my teammates said, if I got Mithali out, she would give me a Maxima waterproof wristwatch. I told her, I will dismiss her in the first ball. (Laughs) And I got the watch.
Mithali, you’re known to be quiet, happy to read even in the dressing room. Jhulan, you’re known to be more gregarious. Are these characterisations accurate?
Raj: Having Jhulan around always helps. Sometimes, a player who is new to the team doesn’t really open up out of respect for seniors, and maintains a distance. It helps to have Jhulan around to break the ice, make them comfortable, while I focus on other things. I rely on her judgement on the team.
Goswami: Don’t ever think Mithali is a quiet person. She talks a lot. She reads so many books and learns new words, even Urdu words… she uses a lot of those these days. (Laughs)
Having played so much cricket together, do you consult Jhulan during play too?
Raj: We’ve seen the sport evolve over 20 years. The pace of the game has changed. I consult Jhulan when a game is on to get her perspective. Her experience helps me get out of tricky situations on the field. And the class bowler that she is, she has been my go-to person.
Goswami: When I made my India debut, Mithali was vice-captain of the team. She gives me freedom on the field and backs me. She has this quality where she lets you be yourself. I have done well with Mithali as captain.
Of the four ODI World Cups you played together, which has been the most memorable?
Raj: It was special reaching the 2005 ODI World Cup final against Australia. Women’s cricket was under the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) then [it’s now under BCCI], and we did not have many facilities. Still, we reached the final. Reaching the 2017 World Cup final was also very special. The way ICC organised it was just phenomenal.
It was just great to see that sort of frenzy back home. We saw fans throng the airport on arrival. We were very sad to lose the final and did not anticipate such euphoria back home. The way that World Cup was marketed did the trick. It had global appeal.
Goswami: Who can forget the 2017 World Cup? Before that, I had never seen such a massive response by fans. That showing really put women’s cricket on a different level. Both the 2005 and 2017 finals stand out. Though low on funds and with fewer facilities, WCAI built a good team in 2005. Mithali played like a tigress. She had a terrible knee injury and even collapsed during a game due to it, but she did not give up. Any other batter in her place would have given up. I hope the 2022 World Cup turns out to be the most memorable one for us.
What did it mean to you, to have BCCI take over?
Raj: It was huge for women’s cricket. Before that we would be put up in dormitories and hostels during domestic matches because of a lack of funds. Coming under the BCCI umbrella meant a complete change for the players. Women cricketers could earn more, play more international cricket, get great facilities. The system was strengthened. The board could take care of future tours, sponsorship deals. Later, a contract system was introduced. It marked a new era.
Goswami: I am not undermining the efforts of WCAI; they did the best they could with limited resources. But BCCI gave the required push to women’s cricket. We could use the facilities at the National Cricket Academy. Cricket at the grassroot level was upgraded. Today in a domestic tournament, 8 to 10 centuries are hit. Domestic cricketers get very good pre-season training as well.
Social media must have been a big shift too. How has that felt?
Raj: On social media, one is constantly judged, which is a bit tricky. But yes, it has played a big role in popularising women’s cricket. It has helped overcome ignorance about our game. Things have changed on the ground too. We would often travel to smaller cities for matches and there would be announcements on the mic that Indian women cricketers are coming for a game and fans would turn up. There was no security. We could interact with fans after the game. Now it is not possible, with so many barricades on the ground.
Goswami: Being constantly judged on social media can get to you. But through social media, women’s cricket has gained popularity. Even domestic match scores are now on social media.
Do you have a lot of extreme male fans, the way some male cricketers have extreme female fans?
Raj: There was one fan who would send crystal jewellery to my house in Hyderabad on a regular basis to show his interest. My mother was a bit shocked to see this happening.
Goswami: Nothing of that sort has ever happened to me.
Biopics on each of you are due for release soon. How does that feel?
Raj: When you start playing a sport, you don’t imagine a movie will be made on your life. It is a great thing. My family and I are excited about the release of Shabaash Mithu [starring Tapsee Pannu].
Goswami: I am also excited. It will be nice to see how my life’s journey is portrayed [by Anushka Sharma] in Chakdaha Express.
Can we hope to see you involved in women’s cricket after your playing careers?
Raj: (Laughs). Why not? I would love to get involved in BCCI’s administrative set-up and do something for the sport, once I quit playing.
Goswami: I have not decided. Right now, I am focused on the New Zealand series and the World Cup.
