In the wake of world number two tennis player Naomi Osaka deciding to boycott press conferences during the ongoing French Open and later pulling out of the Grand Slam citing mental health issues, India ODI and Test skipper Mithali Raj, said on Tuesday that she never felt like forgoing a press conference as she believes that the women’s cricket needs media attention and support.
In a country where cricket is a religion and cricketers are considered Gods, the amount of attention that the Goddesses receive is significantly low compared to their male counterparts. Press conferences and other media interactions are some of the tools that the women’s team, particularly the captain and coach can use to increase the popularity of the women’s sport. Forgoing these media will do no good to women’s cricket and the girls playing the sport are very well aware of this.
Expressing herself on this issue, India ODI and Test captain Mithali Raj, ahead of the team’s tour of England, said, “Well, I think it is tough to be in quarantine for any athlete. But I think getting into a tournament, we do not feel that. Personally, I have not felt that I should forgo a press conference because women’s cricket right now where it stands, it needs media support and it is important for players also to sort of try and help in the growth of the sport. So we need to try to promote the sport.”
The Women in Blue reached the UK shores on June 3. The India eves will be playing one-off Test, three ODIs, and as many T20Is in the month-long tour that kick starts on June 16. After an embarrassing defeat in the bilateral home series against South Africa, the team would be looking to get back to form, not to forget their heroics in the ICC Women’s World T20 last year, in which they remained invincible, only to lose to the hosts Australia in the finals.
After the England series, India eves go to Australia, before which some of the players play the much-awaited “The Hundred” in England.
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.