Cricket, in Pakistan, is one of the most beloved topics talked about, be it on social media, newspapers, media channels or even in catch-ups, with family and friends. There are fans from all corners of the country who support and appreciate the cricket happenings in Pakistan. This helps tip the progress of the sport both nationally and internationally. In recent years, no international match has been played in my country due to the attack by the Sri Lankan cricket team which occurred in the year 2009. The incident obliterated the path of the international cricket teams to Pakistan. However, this badly affected the cricket situation in our country. Since the incident occurred and the international cricket teams were unable to warm up the grounds and pitches of different cities in Pakistan, which had already been the source of many records in the sport, Pakistani cricket has regressed and slowed down with a negative slope on the graph. .
As international cricket demolished in Pakistan, many cricket fans were losing their interest in cricket as the grounds of big cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi became worthless and inferior. Pakistan’s cricket board then decided to organize national tournaments regularly to keep cricket flowing in the country. These national tournaments provided a platform for many young and multi-talented players as they began to get the chance to showcase their skills and abilities. Pakistani domestic cricket, therefore, was now regaining interest from Pakistani cricket fans within the country. Major domestic tournaments that were part of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) included:
Pakistan Super League
Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
Pentangle Trophy
One Day National Championship
Faysal Bank T20 Cup
pattern trophy
pakistan cup
I as a “girl” cricket fan have been following cricket since last six years. Being a Pakistani patriot, I have always served as a deep hearted lover of Pakistan cricket team. I try to stay pleased with cricket happenings, especially in Pakistan.
Since international cricket is not in full swing within our country, I have always enjoyed watching the domestic matches live on the pitch. But, there are many reasons that prevent me from taking a step towards cricket grounds. The reasons may not seem to be as different as many others in our society, but they must be given an immediate look to be dealt with.
THERE IS NO ADEQUATE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS. There are no proper awareness programs that capture the interests of Pakistani cricket fans and audience towards domestic crickets. There are several tournaments that come and go without the viewers knowing about their events. This happens due to the lack of marketing and interaction between management and the audience. No proper infrastructure has been built to promote domestic cricket seasons to the public.
Recently Ramadan cricket tournament was organized in June 2017 in Karachi. I saw some previews on TV about it. The 6th Jazz t20 corporate cup was held at Moin Khan Cricket Academy while the Naya Nazimabad cup was held at Lawai Stadium, Naya Nazimabad. I asked my mom if she could go watch all the games on the field with my friends from college, since she has been at the top of my wish list. The first thing she said to me was,
“Arijah! Girls don’t enter the field, I have never seen any girl visit the field to watch domestic matches and you don’t know how dangerous the Naya Nazimabad area is. I would never allow you to go. If you want to watch, you can watch it on the television”.
My mother’s statement deeply discouraged me and made me realize how these negative factors are contributing to the decline in sports for girls and women, especially in our country.
SECURITY MEASURES. We live in an orthodox society where it is very rare for a woman to leave her house for any reason. So how is it possible for a woman to step on the ground to enjoy her favorite sport? This act is considered a taboo in our society. I as a cricket fan can never go to the stadiums and grounds, alone or even with my girlfriends due to its taboo nature. If I do, there will be an audience that will start looking at me and my friends. They will start commenting and discussing about us. However, this will literally force me to never revisit any terrain. There are no separate enclosures for the females where they must feel safe. Proper arrangements have not been made to serve female cricket spectators.
More precisely, in the current time period, I have seen many girls willing to serve for their country in cricket. Also, they need proper arrangements of security measures, platforms of opportunity, to move forward and play their role. Because I’m a girl, I checked a lot of wishes off my to-do list for the reasons specified above. However, the reasons must be taken into consideration and must be abolished in order to provide a safe platform for the women of our country. So that they can produce results voluntarily for the betterment of our sports.
