"Gender equality is just talk" - Aakash Chopra on Indian women playing their first Test since 2014
Aakash Chopra has said that "gender equality is just talk", considering that the Indian women's cricket team will be playing a Test match after a gap of seven years.
The Indian women's team last played a one-off Test match against South Africa in November 2014. Even though they won that encounter and the previous one-match series away from home against England in the same year, they haven't played a Test match since.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted that there is a vast disparity between men's and women's cricket.
"India women are set to play their first Test match after 2014. Before that, they had played a long time back. When the girls are playing Tests after such long gaps, you realize that gender equality is just talk," said Chopra.
The former India cricketer pointed out that it is a global phenomenon and not only restricted to Indian cricket.
"It is not just limited to Indian women. If you talk about the seven years since 2014, only England and Australia have played Test cricket amongst themselves. South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies - the girls have not played any Test cricket. Only England and Australia play one-off Tests because of the Ashes," added Aakash Chopra.
Since the 2014 Test between India and South Africa, Australia and England have played one-off Tests every alternate year between 2015 and 2019.
"BCCI has done the right thing now" - Aakash Chopra
While acknowledging that the Indian women's team getting to play Tests against England and Australia is a step in the right direction, Aakash Chopra wants the Mithali Raj-led side to be better prepared before playing the day-night Test in Perth.
"Of course, BCCI has done the right thing now. There is a Test match in England and then a Test match in Australia. I am thinking that before the pink-ball Test, you should get some practice for the women," said Chopra.
The reputed commentator reasoned that the Indian women will have a tough time against the formidable Aussies if they go there without any pink-ball cricket behind them.
"Otherwise the team there is already very strong and you have not played cricket with the pink ball at all, how will you be able to compete? So, that question will definitely remain," signed off Aakash Chopra.
The Indian women's team has never played any cricket with the pink ball. They have limited exposure to red-ball cricket as well, with veterans like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami having played just ten Tests each, and seasoned campaigners like Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana having represented India in just a couple of long-format matches.