Cricket is one of those areas that has been severely affected by the ongoing global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and England Women's captain Heather Knight is worried about the future prospects of the women’s sport all over the world after the health crisis ends.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shutdown of all sporting events including professional cricket across the world, leading to a huge financial loses, and it has resulted in the governing bodies getting desperate to regain lost income and they will certainly priorities money-spinning men’s events over the less lucrative women’s fixtures when cricketing action resumes once the situation comes under control.
Women’s cricket has made huge strides in recent years, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will definitely be in trouble the most to maintain the gain given the current situation, and Knight also feared that all women's sport could get left behind once the global crisis ends.
On being asked if she feared women's cricket might now be less of a concern in the current climate, Knight told Britain's Press Association: “That's the worry in women's sport across the board, not just in cricket. We've obviously got to accept that the most commercially viable parts of the game will be given priority.”
She further added, “But we're making sure that the women's game gets a bigger voice and we're given the same sort of chance to get back playing as the men are.”
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Meanwhile, the Melbourne Cricket Ground had witnessed a record more than 86,000 spectators to see Australia beat India in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final last month and the captain said: “I’ve only ever seen it like that for a Test match, that was pretty cool knowing it was for a women’s game,”
Knight signed off, “I just hope it was not just a one-off event and that support continues and the people that came to watch and enjoyed will continue to do so, not just in Australia but all over the place.”
However, the England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison has insisted that they are “very closely” finding the ways to resume women’s cricket as well. He said: “We are going to, of course, do everything we can to get women’s cricket on. It’s no less important than the men’s game.”
(With PA Inputs)
