I will start a foundation for female cricketers in Kashmir so that they don’t have to struggle like me,” said 28-year-old Jasia Akhtar, Kashmir’s only female cricketer to be picked for the first Women’s Premier League by Delhi Capitals for Rs 20 lakh during the auction held on Monday. The T20 tournament begins 4 March.
Akhtar was eight years old when she first held a bat, which belonged to her cousin’s. And accompanied him to the neighbourhood fields to play cricket. Her love for the game grew each time she hit the ball and heard the boys running and screaming after dropping a catch. Society didn’t accept Akhtar for she is a woman, and neighbours would constantly tell her family to teach her household chores instead of sending her out playing cricket. But with the support of her family, she braved it all.
On Monday evening, lying in her bed in Hyderabad, where the 34-year-old is playing zonal matches, Akhtar opened her WhatsApp after a hectic day of practice. She was welcomed by a barrage of messages congratulating her on her selection in the Delhi Capitals team. She went silent as memories replayed before her eyes.
“It took me a few minutes to process and the first thing I did was call my parents,” Akhtar told ThePrint over a phone call.
Jasia jaisi koi nahi 😁
The #CapitalsUniverse is stoked to have you! #WPL #WPLAuction #YehHaiNayiDilli pic.twitter.com/Ow7CIPuTxj
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) February 13, 2023
Also read: Why India’s retired domestic women cricketers are left out of BCCI pension scheme
A society that pulls back
Hailing from the remote village of Braripora in militancy-hit Shopian, Akhtar’s journey was riddled with struggles, conviction and societal pressure. Born to a farmer father and a homemaker mother, she had to fight even for the basics.
A daily total trip of Rs 250 from Shopian to Srinagar and backwards to practice at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association facility required Akhtar to save her pocket money that children of her age would usually spend on buying dresses and confectionaries.
“All’s well that ends well. But yes, I had to struggle a lot to make it end well. But I don’t regret it as cricket is my world,” said Akhtar merrily.
The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association was not well-equipped to cater to the needs of the cricketers, said Akhtar. The basic equipment, including bats, balls, gloves and helmets, was not available and there was hardly anyone to guide.
Akhtar, along with other female cricketers, would mimic national players they had seen on the television and cheer among themselves. But the reality hit her hard when she moved to Punjab in 2013 at the age of 18. She learnt she wasn’t up to the mark and had to work really hard to reach somewhere. And so she did, following in the footsteps of her favourite players Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur.
“There is nothing in Kashmir for cricket players – whether for men or women. Kashmir is 20 years backwards. You will be surprised to know that there are many women who want to pursue cricket as a career but because of the lack of opportunity, they have to kill their dream. There is not even a proper ground,” she said with a sigh of anguish.
In Punjab, Akhtar practised day in and out, with her focus unflinching. This continued till one day she caught the attention of her coach in Punjab, Ranjeet Singh, who offered her to play for the state. After playing in Punjab for six years, she moved to Rajasthan where she met Gangotri Chauhan who stood like a pillar. Chauhan is the chairperson of the Rajasthan Women’s cricket selection committee. Akhtar is currently the captain of the Rajasthan team.
“The transition from Kashmir to Punjab was difficult. The language was different. The culture was new. But eventually, Punjab became home to me. Punjab and Rajasthan have given me so much love that I can’t express it in words,” Akhtar added.
Also read: Mithali Raj came when nobody cared about women’s cricket. 23 years later, not much has changed
‘They said I will fail’
Akhtar would bunk classes and discreetly go to play matches as a teenager. When her father would scold her, she would express her love for cricket feebly and teary-eyed. Her father, Gul Mohammad Wani, who himself dreamt of being a cricketer couldn’t stop her daughter. However, society tried its best to stall her dreams.
“Every day I would hear comments against me from my neighbours and acquaintances. They would say I will fail and won’t be able to make it. Earlier, it would hurt me. But eventually, I realised that my aim is bigger than this petty criticism,” Akhtar recalled with strain in her voice.
On Monday, when she informed her parents about her selection, they started rolling tears of joy. But for Akhtar, the journey has just begun. While she doesn’t want to return to Kashmir for her cricketing career anymore, she has a dream to make the Valley feasible for female players — not just in sports but also socially.
“Society doesn’t allow women to step out, earn and follow their dreams. But the same society asks for dowry. When you didn’t allow women to earn, how can you ask for money? I am against dowry but it reflects the double-faced character of society. Doesn’t it?” she asked laughingly.
(Edited by Anurag Chaubey)