As cricket stops amidst the global lockdown, a lot of talks have started as players and fans miss the action. Social media is full of new clips and insights that are keeping the viewers entertained.
The Hundred, to be held in the UK is now the talk of the town. Earlier leg spinner Levick came against people cheering the postponing of The Hundred and now we have Charlotte Edwards who has highlighted the economic impact that the delay will have. Charlotte is one of the veterans in female cricket. She has captained the English side and now makes the news for the recent statements which fear the potential impact that The Hundred delayed will carry.
The launch season for the controversial The Hundred has been delayed by the worldwide lockdown and the novel corona outbreak. Social distancing has been emphasized sporting events including cricket have been called off until good times. There were eight teams on the roster linked to different cities. Notably, they were the same in the men’s and women’s edition. It was being speculated that the tournament would provide a major boost to the female manifest of the game. Players would have got the taste and exposure of professional and franchise leagues.
Pic Credits: Sky Sports
Although the team offered equal prize money for the winners, there was a big difference in the paychecks of women and their male counterparts. The lowest contract offered to a man was 30 thousand euros which, as a matter of fact, was double the highest amount offered to women.
“Obviously it’s the right decision but it was such an important year for women’s cricket on the back of the hugely successful World Cup in Australia, where nearly 90,000 people watched the game.
“We just really felt the momentum was with the women’s game and we were also going to introduce contracts this summer for 40 professional cricketers, and it’s all been put on hold at the moment,” the 40-year-old said.
Moreover, the tournament was a source of livelihood for many players in the summer. In an interaction with BBC World Service, Edwards revealed that many people have lost their jobs, and players had hopes on contract from The Hundred. They were lucrative and the delay or a year of postponing will serve as a big disappointment.
Charlotte Edwards fears delay to the Hundred will damage women’s cricket.
What do you think? pic.twitter.com/xWO8j40WSy
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) May 4, 2020
She, however, point out that ECB’s firm stand on going ahead with the 20-million-euro investment will help things for the moment but there is a worrying time for players. She recalls that the year was big for cricket and cricketing fans and the delay will bring some problems on the table. Recently, another professional from England urged people on twitter to perceive The Hundred not only from Men’s cricket. She realises that the situation is not ideal and the priority at this stage shall be the health and well-being of the society.
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