Why Pakistan women’s cricket fuelled with Jazbaa

Puthran's book Unveiling Jazbaa traces the phenomenal history of Pakistan women's cricket. The book has the definition of the word Jazbaa written even before the chapters begin. The definition reads ‘spirit, feeling, passion, desire, sentiment, emotion.' And the title 'Unveiling Jazbaa' fits perfectly as all of these emotions were transported through the book The book begins with a short story on Pakistani spinner Saba Nazir, who played cricket in secrecy from her orthodox family as the 'act of playing sports was seen unwomanly'. To play cricket and travel comfortably for training, Saba cut her hair short and that was considered a 'crime greater than murder' in Pakistan. When the males in her conservative family found out about it, they slapped and grounded her. They also stopped providing food for her. But Saba didn't flinch and stood her ground. She said, "You can kill me if you want, but I am not going to stop playing cricket. Even if you cut off my legs, I'll crawl to the ground and play." Many women cricketers in Pakistan have faced similar patriarchal issues, while a handful had it easy. The author Aayush eloquently stitches together short stories on different ways the women cricketers in Pakistan have defied and dared to play the gentleman's game. And it is the stories of these struggles which make this book an engaging and gratifying read. The initial chapters of the book voyages through the endeavours behind the creation of the Pakistan women's cricket team and association. It introduces us to the Khan sisters -- Shazia and Sharmeen -- who were instrumental in assembling a Pakistani women's cricket team. Their journey too wasn't a bed of roses; it had death threats. The London emigrant sisters secured International Women's Cricket Council membership for Pakistan in 1996 and a year later they went on to play in the World Cup (held in India) for the first time. The sisters, who had spent a lot of their own fortune in building women's cricket in the country, also had to fight a few organisations wanting to be the official association. In the first tournament of the Pakistan Women's Cricket Association, the players walked on the field in collared kurtas and pyjamas and sweaters. The matches were played with no male spectators. As the chapters went on, it had a flurry of first occurrences. For an Indian author to dive deep into the intricate details of his neighbouring country, it is remarkable. Pakistan's 2010 Asian Games gold medal brought women's cricket to light in their nation, according to the author. That elusive medal also brought Sana Mir into the limelight. The former captain and former world no. 1 bowler in the ICC ODI rankings along with former coach Mohatashim Rashid played a pivotal role in developing Pakistan's standard in the game. Under their guidance, Pakistan qualified for the 2012 T20 World Cup, achieved their first World Cup win over their arch-rivals India and bagged another Asian Games gold medal in 2014. Sana felt the victory against India helped women's cricket to be at the centre of conversation in Pakistan. "It was a rare high for a sport that needed attention to reach the hinterlands, creating awareness and acceptance that girls were stepping out and playing. The girls who were part of that match got an extraordinary level of attention afterwards. It made our parents proud and made them understand that what we were doing (playing cricket) was meaningful," said Sana. Sana's straight-face and intense picture adorns the cover of the 252-page book. And a few chronicled colourful pictures of Pakistani cricketers in the middle of the book are appealing. The author then goes on to add some bitter and some heart-warming journeys of Pakistani women cricketers. An extract from the book aptly described the barriers women cricketers in Pakistan face. It read, "For a cricket-loving country like Pakistan, gaining success in sport is the ultimate form of izzat (honour). And yet, several women who have attempted to play the sport testify to the beizzati (dishonour) their families fear it will bring." Women playing sports is still considered a taboo in few parts of Pakistan. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which hasn't provided the same amount of support to women as compared to men, has progressed well so far. In 2021, the PCB formed a parental pregnancy policy and offered women cricketers paid leave. It was a move that gained a lot of appreciation. In the final chapter, author Aayush said, "In a country with a population of more than ten million women and girls, 86 have succeeded in representing Pakistan in their most popular sport, defying odds and achieving honours despite the system rather than because of it. There isn't a lot of cricketing success to show over the 25 years, but the Pakistan players have managed to bring about several important changes." It is a well-researched book and a good read for cricket enthusiasts ahead of the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in South Africa in February 2023. It enlightens the reader as well as brings a huge amount of respect and admiration towards the Pakistani women cricketers.