Indian Women Cricketers Need a Players’ Body: Isa Guha

Guha’s concern comes in the wake of a report stating Indian women’s team is yet to get prize money for the T20 WC.

Indian women’s cricket team is yet to be paid their share of T20 World Cup prize money. 

(Photo: BCCI)

Former England cricketer Isa Guha has raised her voice for a players' association for Indian women’s cricketers after British newspaper The Telegraph reported that the BCCI hasn't disbursed them the runner-up prize money for the T20 World Cup last year.

"Women are made to feel grateful for progress but there is still so much to be done to reach equity (& that isn't just equal pay). Players associations are a vital part of reaching this. India women will dominate the global stage when as much thought goes into their game as the men," wrote Guha while quote-tweeting the report on her timeline.

"While the men are at a different level there are still base level equities in player welfare. Things like payment/contract times, well-being support networks, domestic structure prof[essional] support, maternity provisions, retirement planning are all things can be gained from having a PA (players' association)," she added.

On Sunday, a report by former international cricketer and sports writer Isabelle Westbury in the UK-based Telegraph claimed that the BCCI is yet to credit prize money due to Indian players for the T20 World Cup, wherein they contested the finals against hosts Australia.

Westbury was even more scathing in her attack on the Indian board following a report in an Indian media outlet quoting a senior BCCI official as saying that the board was unable to forward the payments since it received prize money late from the International Cricket Council (ICC). She called the claim a 'cover-up' as the ICC had processed the prize money from their end by April 2020, according to The Telegraph.

"…However, dismayed that, even when exposed, the cover up continues. The BCCI received the prize money from the ICC by April 2020 latest. Not 'late last year'," tweeted Westbury. Her report highlighted that Australia's women players received their prize money by April 2020 and England's players by May 2020.