India scripted a dream victory in the World Cup final. From the stands of Navi Mumbai to every corner of the nation, fans showered love and admiration on the world champion women’s cricket team. Amid this historic triumph, an old remark by N. Srinivasan has gone viral a comment revealed eight years ago by legendary cricketer Diana Edulji.
Once a young girl playing tennis-ball cricket in Mumbai’s railway colony, Edulji had said, “Since women’s cricket came under BCCI in 2006, I have opposed them because it’s a male-dominated body. They never wanted women to have a say or be part of any decision-making.” She made this statement at a media event in August 2017 the very year India reached the Women’s World Cup final.
Edulji further added, “I was vocal about it from the beginning. Perhaps some in the board couldn’t digest the team’s success. In 2011, after India’s World Cup win, I went to congratulate then BCCI president Srinivasan. He said, "If it were up to me, I would have shut down women’s cricket."
A born rebel, former Indian captain Diana Edulji has always stood up against injustice. Back in 1986, during India’s England tour, she was denied entry to the Lord’s pavilion. In protest, she famously said MCC should be renamed “MCP” Male Chauvinist Pig. Today, those very “neglected” women have risen to conquer the world.
