Cricket, Beyond Gender

Cricket from a girl's perspective;

It’s not a game, it’s an emotion

It is my story, maybe an inspiration, maybe a fictional tale. To each is their own and here you go-

To be honest I’ve not really been the active kid on the block. I've stuck to my books and on occasions fancied a game or two with the bat. I have learnt what I know from the streets and my brother. Since I was the nerd with the glasses and hug intellectual I didn't really have many friends. I had barely a verbal filter and minimal tolerance to nonsense. That guarantees lonely time and being a victim of bullying.

My brother always stood for me supporting me and guiding me when I needed him. He taught me how to play cricket and asked me to stand up for myself. I started off with a stick for a bat and crushed paper for a ball. Or certain days even the writing pad at home became our bat. It was the fire they lit in me to learn this and master this since everyone told me how it was impossible for a girl. I wanted to challenge that notion. Nights were spent on practicing and reading up on the techniques since I had a lot to cope for. The inferiority complex that was instilled in me took time to be broken. The game was a way for me to express myself ( what's yours?)

It's not just about me and lecture on how you shouldn't be bullying but it's about how cricket changed my life henceforth. I started playing with him and his gang. They took me in with a little hesitation but apparently they saw a spark in me which I had no idea existed. Cricket isn't merely a game but something that taught me about life. The strokes and the fieldwork taught

me planning and hard work. It taught me the need to maintain my cool and how to aim for success as a team. It might seem funny how I am exaggerating a simple play of stick and the ball on the road at a young age, but trust me to a person who had none other than that to look forward to- it saved me. It taught me what years of books couldn't - confidence and the confirmation that I could face any ball life throws at me.

Be it a spinner or a fast bowler- few seconds of calm and clear mind can divert any hindrance to a boundary- to victory. Personification taking me yards ahead, it took me a while to break the shackles at home that prevented me from playing. It was looked down on since I mingled more with the opposite gender. It was seen as a shame since I wasn't very girl like in my choices but it was a price I chose to pay for. It was all worth it. The lessons of success and failures I was taught at the hands of the ball , strengthened me for the rough future. One never gets anything without fighting for it, otherwise, it never stands.

It took the gang more than a few matches to name me as their own and get me a bat to play with. They taught me more than they realized. Be it topics like gender equality, feminism, sportive attitude, from how to play a game to being a fitness freak, from having a hobby to developing a career. It taught me to believe in self and that wealth and family background doesn't take you

places - attitude does. One should always look ahead and see their goal.

Positivity ain't merely a textbook concept or what is unsaid in meditation halls- it is optimism- a sense of hope and something that steers us ahead- something to lean on.

What is cricket entirely about? A stick and a ball game developed in the early 1400s by the English to pass their time and to showcase their wealth or to rather bring about differentiation based on wealth. It was brought to India when it was colonized and dumped upon us to show them our game. The game as a whole went through tremendous changes to show how change isn't always something to be feared for. However today it is more than a game- it is an emotion to the masses.

Movies like Lagan and Chennai 28 brought about a revelation to the cricket fans. Movies like MSD and Tendular- a million dreams left no stone unturned to document the victories and appreciate those chosen youngsters who've achieved great heights through this sport. They made it their life and now many lives choose this sport. The most prevalent stereotype is that cricket is for the male and the females are fit for the cheerleading- with all due respect to cheering and that being a form of encouraging dance, it is the same sport for the girls out there. Our Indian team is the documented Evidence for success and breaking all stereotypes. Agreed that there are girls who are unaware of the captain and or even the number of yards it takes for a run.

I'm just saying there are also a few who know this sport and more than that, they play it right. The world around us is changing and the maximum we could do is, facilitate it if not join it. There is a separate joy in being the one bringing about the change. Change is for the good but being the change is even better. Years of preaching now brought it into practice. The idea of this being a gender orientated game changed into parents volunteering to let their child learn this art form to see how far one travels. Sports are no longer seen as an activity played in the free time from studying. It is seen as a successful career choice. The ones respected after the law force are the cricketers in India. The amenities they get once they have found their footing is immeasurable. And coming from the background like million others- without much facilities to count for, the government steps forward to encourage the underprivileged. We always have a shoulder to count for and a step to move forward - skill and passion are the prices we need to pay for success.

Do you have the passion?

Do you want to break the gender barriers?

Do you play?

Let's play.

Even for a girl, it's not merely a sport, it is an emotion.