From playing in skirts to professional contracts — women's cricket's long struggle for recognition and equality.
Early History
Women's cricket has a longer history than many realize. The first recorded women's cricket match was in 1745 in Surrey, England. The Women's Cricket Association (WCA) was formed in England in 1926.
The first Women's World Cup was held in 1973 — two years BEFORE the men's World Cup. England won the inaugural tournament.
The Professional Era
For decades, women's cricket was amateur. Players had day jobs and played cricket in their spare time. The gap between men's and women's cricket — in pay, facilities, media coverage, and professionalism — was enormous.
Things began to change in the 2010s as cricket boards started offering professional contracts to women players. The BCCI launched the Women's IPL (WPL) in 2023, a franchise T20 league for women.
Key Milestones
- 1973: First Women's World Cup
- 2005: Women's cricket merged with ICC (previously separate governing body)
- 2009: First Women's T20 World Cup
- 2017: Women's World Cup final at Lord's draws a global audience
- 2020: T20 World Cup final in Melbourne draws 86,000 spectators
- 2022: Commonwealth Games includes women's cricket (T20)
- 2023: Women's IPL (WPL) launched with professional contracts
Ongoing Challenges
Despite significant progress, women's cricket still faces challenges:
- Pay gap remains enormous (though narrowing)
- Limited Test cricket for women (most teams rarely play Tests)
- Media coverage still a fraction of men's cricket
- Some countries (notably Afghanistan under Taliban) bar women from cricket
- Infrastructure and grassroots development lag behind men's cricket