WPL: Cricketers hope new league will inspire young women
- Published
Issy Wong has flown out to Mumbai to compete in the WPL with Mumbai Indians
The first ever Women's Premier League (WPL) has started in India - and it's a big deal.
The three-week T20 cricket tournament involves big names, big money, and big audiences.
It's half the size of the men's version of the tournament, but the investment and attention in the women's game is unprecedented.
League bosses say it's "a landmark day" for female cricketers, and players hope it will raise the sport's profile.
BBC Asian Network spoke to one player who'll be competing in Mumbai, and spoke to grassroots players to find out what it means to them.
'So much potential'
You may have heard Issy Wong on Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James - she's played in UK league The Hundred.
Issy, who's from the West Midlands, has flown to India to take part in the WPL after being snapped up by Mumbai Indians.
The 20-year-old says she's jumped into her new role "head first" and been welcomed by "fantastic" team-mates.
"Some of the team meetings have been quite enjoyable with head coaches speaking English and then translations into Hindi, then lots of laughing and lots of fun," she says.
"It feels like we've created a really good group spirit already."
Izzy, who's been playing team cricket from a young age, says she's seen "monumental change" in the UK scene over the past five years.
"Anything under international cricket was recreational." she says.
"And now we've probably got almost 100 women in this country, playing cricket professionally."
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Issy hopes competitions like the WPL will get those numbers up.
"I think that that's how the game evolves with these competitions," she says.
"There's so much potential to inspire young girls and young boys to start playing or to keep playing cricket, keep pushing."
WPL: Crunching numbers
There are five franchises involved - Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz
They were bought by their owners for a total of almost £500m
Some of the top players have earnt six-figure deals - India's Smriti Mandana went for £340,000
England's Nat Sciver-Brunt was close behind - she also went for more than £300,000
Five-year TV rights were sold for nearly £100m
Cricket coach Sim says there are many more opportunities for women now
Sim, 25, is a cricket coach at Warwickshire County Cricket Club. She's been playing since she was 15.
She thinks the Women's IPL is an "absolutely brilliant" thing, but admits "it's taken a long time to get here".
"There was nothing like this when I was playing cricket. And that was only a few years ago," she says.
"So I'm really proud and really happy for the opportunities for the ladies, not just playing as a hobby, but actually playing as a career is absolutely phenomenal."
The WPL still has some way to go to match the men's game in terms of size and money.
Despite the top players fetching salaries over £300,000, their male counterparts are reported to earn about £1.8m.
But the money involved in the new league is still much higher than female players in the UK would normally get.
Samreen says she's been inspired by seeing women play at the top level
Samreen, 18, is one of Sim's trainees and says she's hoping to go professional.
"I think with all these franchises, all these leagues are opening up for girls. It's just an amazing opportunity for women's cricket to go the extra length," she says.
Samreen's been inspired by getting a chance to play street games with cricketers Sophie Ecclestone and Nat Sciver-Brunt.
"It was just an amazing opportunity," she says.
"And when you see female players like them you just want to go the extra mile and put in that extra effort to be exactly like them.
"It's just amazing what these these new opportunities are doing for females."
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- Published3 March 2023
- Published3 March 2023
