You Sustain In The Commentary Box Because Of Your Work, Not Gender: Anjum Chopra

Anjum Chopra바카라�s graceful left-handed batting often inspired comparisons with England stylist David Gower. But when it comes to speaking, Chopra is more like Virender Sehwag 바카라� rapid and off the front foot. The former captain of the Indian women바카라�s cricket team, the daughter of a golfer father and a car rallyist mother, spoke to Outlook on issues concerning women바카라�s cricket and broadcasting. While Chopra feels that there is always scope for improvement, she sees the 바카라�gender glass바카라� as more than half-full, and has a positive take on the state of women바카라�s cricket and the attitude of contemporary Indians towards women athletes.

Edited excerpts.

What are your thoughts on India바카라�s win in the women바카라�s under-19 T20 World Cup?

It바카라�s an overwhelming feeling. Everything is falling into place for women바카라�s cricket in India. The last couple of weeks have been brilliant for the women바카라�s game [with the World Cup win and the announcement of the Women바카라�s Premier League.]

Growing up in Delhi in the 80s, what reactions did you get when you started playing supposedly a 바카라�man바카라�s sport바카라�? Did your family바카라�s background in sports strengthen you to take sexist comments on the chin?

I didn바카라�t face any comments. Maybe my parents did. If not comments, then questions. As always, the 바카라�why are you encouraging a girl to take up sports, that too cricket?바카라� kind of questions. Cricket might seem like a lucrative career today. That wasn바카라�t the case back then. Yes, women were playing, but cricket wasn바카라�t a proper women바카라�s sport yet.

No doubt my family바카라�s sports background helped me. Without their support and guidance, I wouldn바카라�t have been able to even step onto a cricket field.

Were there occasions when the infrastructure was inadequate for women, in terms of dressing rooms or toilets?

I바카라�ll just say there바카라�s drastic improvement on that front. Now grounds are open to women players. And changing rooms are changing rooms, whether for men or women. Honestly, I don바카라�t see anything as a problem right now. There is quite a bit of advancement in Indian women바카라�s cricket. Yes, there is scope for improvement, but that holds true for everything. Yes, everything in this world is more male-centric, be it offices, sports, infrastructure. And it can always get better. But it is much better than what it was decades ago.

Your coach once made you face Manoj Prabhakar in practice. Was it empowering that he did that, and that Prabhakar did not hold back and bowled at his usual pace?

I was too young to feel empowered at that time. I was only hoping to not lose my wicket. I did not even know the meaning of the word 바카라�empowered.바카라� Also, I had been playing alongside famous Indian cricketers from a very young age. So I simply saw it as a challenge thrown at me by my coach, in which Prabhakar was the bowler and I was the batswoman.

You바카라�ve breached another supposed male bastion 바카라� the commentary box. Geoffrey Boycott was against women commentating on men바카라�s cricket, because, he said, 바카라�As good as the women are at their game, it bears no resemblance to the power and pace of men바카라�s cricket.바카라� What is your view?

When he made those comments (in 2020, after being dropped from a BBC panel), I only read them as his thoughts. That was his opinion. I wasn바카라�t working with him, and was far away from that particular context.

Have you faced any gender-based discrimination in the commentary box?

Not at all. My experience has been very positive. Outside India, I never felt it [any bias]. Within India, I don바카라�t work on international cricket. I work on domestic cricket. Currently [at ILT20], it바카라�s been wonderful working with the likes of Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, David Gower, David Lloyd, to name some of my colleagues.

Is there a greater acceptance of women commentators?

It바카라�s nice. But again, it바카라�s about how you do your job, and not your gender. In our profession, you have to make your space. Yes, you might be given an opportunity, but at the end of the day, it바카라�s not because of your gender that you sustain. You sustain because of your work.

Indian men and women players will now get the same amount in match fees, even though one part of the argument is that men바카라�s cricket has higher TV ratings. What are your thoughts on this subject?

Nobody likes getting paid less. In any case, who should be paid how much is ultimately decided by the Board바카라�s finance committee. But I바카라�m happy that women cricketers will get the same fees as the men for the matches they play.

But there remains a big difference in the value of their contracts.

To theek hai. Dheere dheere aa jayega. (It바카라�s okay. Over time the money will come for the women.)