While Pakistan cricket – the men’s version – has been since its very inception steeped into intrigue and controversy, women’s cricket though a much latter day phenomenon had until recently maintained pristine standards. Not a whiff of scandal, till the charge of sexual harassment was raised in far flung Multan, where a clutch of female aspirants for a spot in the southern Punjab’s Regional outfit were overlooked. In turn, they blamed their ouster on not obliging the overtures of the male lords and masters of the Region.
The Pakistan Cricket Board had until then not been engulfed in the throes of uncertainty with the advent of the new government, and the now defunct chairman, Ch. Zaka Ashraf was very much in-charge. An inquiry was promptly ordered and the charges of sexual harassment were said to have been thoroughly examined. The verdict though has yet to be pronounced, for in a Board where all corridors lead to the chairman’s office and the decision-making is controlled by one man alone to the point of asphyxiation, such delays are inevitable.
The tremor of the accusations though has shook Pakistan women’s cricket – a fresh entity that was just emerging with a number of national events and ever greater international participation since our girls trumped the boys in the Asian Games 2010 to walk away with gold when cricket was for the first time included in the continental spectacle. And it also raised a slew of questions.
First and foremost among them is the issue of perception. With not a single untoward incident having ever been reported, women’s cricket had until now carried an immaculate reputation. That is this scandal created ripples, and is likely to create misgivings in the minds of the prospective girls and parents who were keen to take to the game as full time, professional players. A whole lot shall depend on whether this remains a one-off. If more incidents of the kind came to light, the game would definitely be besmirched and the setback could be serious.
When asked, a Multan-based journalist, Mohammad Nadeem Qaisar, vouched that the version of the five girls carried more than a grain of truth. Ayesha Ashhar, the lady who is on the administrative side the leading light of women’s cricket in Pakistan and the manager of the national team besides being the head of the three-member PCB inquiry committee, was not categorical in sharing the conclusions of the probe. Her ‘do not jump to conclusions’ and ‘wait for the report to be made public’ response made it reasonably clear that she hasn’t fallen for the accusation of five ladies.
Regardless of the veracity of the girls’ allegations or otherwise, the fact is that women’s cricket is growing by leaps and bounds. Introduction of domestic events which have found sponsors and patrons, particularly of the overs-limited variety with Twenty20 generating a lot of interest, means lucrative jobs by the departments and sizable prize money, which, replicating men’s cricket, leads to PCB’s central contracts and international travel and match and tour fees. Being a woman cricketer representing the regions, the departments and Pakistan now carries a lot of prestige and counts for a lot of dough. And this has all happened over the last three years.
But those controlling the game at all tiers are mostly men – be it the regions, the departments or even the coaching staff at the National Cricket Academy and the coaching staff. Which means the men can make or break the careers of a woman cricketer. A nod can mean recognition and rewards and thumbs down wilderness and oblivion.
In this milieu, where men are mostly in control of a woman’s cricketing destiny, especially those just starting up, the situation is highly combustible. By any stretch of imagination, we have not heard the last of it.
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Allegations Five Multan girls alleged in a television programme that officials and coaches of the Multan Cricket Association during a training camp made advances and asked for sexual favours. One of the girls, Kiran Khan said, she was forced to giving up the game under duress after a coach and official in the camp demanded sexual gratification. Four female cricketers – fast bowler Halima Rafiq, Hina Ghafoor, Seema Javed and Kiran Khan – came on a private television channel and alleged that Multan Cricket Club’s senior members are involved in this. The quartet contended d that MCC Chairman Maulvi Sultan Alam was involved in the whole incident. Seema remarked in the show, Sultan Alam had asked her to convince Kiran to acquiesce and get selected in the Under-19 squad as a quid pro quo. This was also claimed that those who obliged the management got selected while those who did not got the boot. Seema also alleged that when she joined the MCC some years ago, a senior Nadia Hussain, warned her to be beware of the club officials. “They’ll first promise to send you to the national squad, and will then take you to the bedroom,” Nadia had said, claimed Seema.
Counter-allegations Terming the allegations of the quintet as baseless, Maulvi Sultan and Muhammad Javed hurled their counter-allegations that bordered on character assasination. Javed said, Seema was banned from the club due to her involvement in the disappearance of a girl – only returning to the Club once the missing girl had been recovered. He also alleged that Kiran was caught carrying alcohol in a girl’s college in Multan where she was organizing a sports event, and her entry was still banned in that college. |
The writer is a journalist based in Lahore.
