The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has welcomed the announcement of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with regard to the implementation of pay equity policy for the contracted women cricketers.
In a statement issued by JKCA on Tuesday, Brig Anil Gupta, Member-Administration said the Association wholeheartedly appreciates this well-timed gesture of the BCCI when the Indian cricket is at its peak.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI’s) announcement of providing the same match fee to contracted women cricketers as given to the men cricketers is a great step towards gender equality. It was simply the need of the hour. BCCI deserves salutations for the same,” stated Brig Gupta.
Earlier, Secretary BCCI Jay Shah had tweeted..”I’m pleased to announce @BCCI’s first step towards tackling discrimination. we are implementing a pay equity policy for our contracted @BCCI women cricketers. The match fee for both men and women cricketers will be the same as we move into a new era of gender equality in cricket”.
Responding to Jay Shah’s announcement, Brig Anil Gupta further said that the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has already put in place the measures to promote gender equality, adding that the Association has provided all those facilities to the women cricketers which are provided to the men cricketers.
“The facilities provided to the women cricketers analogous to men include the big number of selection and preparatory matches being played at home before the national matches, the quality of balls being used and the quality of pitches and grounds being provided to them, which otherwise was not the custom earlier in JKCA,” maintained Brig Gupta.
It is pertinent to mention here that along with the men, the women cricketers have been engaged with different Camps by the JKCA from the last two and a half months, that means the filtration of players through different processes have started around four months before the season in a fantastic cricketing atmosphere.
“Such facilities and the selection process have earned J&K women cricket name and fame at the national scene. A few seasons back, the JKCA Senior Women’s One-Day team had qualified for the knockout stage for the first time in cricketing history. Moreover, JKCA U-15 Women’s team also scripted history by making it to the quarterfinals. J&K women cricket is unquestionably on the upswing. So, BCCI’s recent announcement is simply icing on the cake,” added Brig Gupta.
