Women's cricket has come a long way from where it was a couple of decades ago, and former India skipper Mithali Raj explains how ICC chair Jay Shah played an instrumental role in the transformation.
Featuring in an exclusive conversation on The Scoop by Wisden, Mithali Raj voiced her opinions about the development of women's cricket across the globe and highlighted how some of those changes have been instrumental for the growth of the game.
The former India skipper referred to previous decades, when women cricketers and athletes had to choose between family and ambition, which was an extremely difficult choice to make for any athlete. However, she later stressed on the importance of the contributions of Jay Shah towards the upliftment of women's cricket across the globe.
"They [women athletes] had to choose between family and ambition," Mithali noted. "They have [had] to choose between motherhood and continuing to be an elite athlete. Now, they don't have to make that choice.
"And what is more heartening is that it's not just supporting the physical support but also the mental wellbeing of the player, giving the right sort of support system around, guideline for the boards also to look into it backed by science, that pathway is there. I think what it does, the bigger picture is that it retains experienced players for a little longer than the sport actually requires."
Mithali Raj: Jay Shah had a vision for women's cricket
After Jay Shah took over as the ICC chair in December 2024, there have been some notable changes in the women's cricket ecosystem. The expansion of the ICC Women's Championship from 10 to 11 teams from the 2025-2029 cycle remains one of the most important decisions taken by the council, creating a clear pathway for another team towards the Women's World Cup. The ICC also recently launched a 'Return to Play Post-Pregnancy Guidelines' for female cricketers, providing them with a support system to return to the game after pregnancy.
During his tenure as the secretary of the BCCI, Jay Shah chipped in with a lot of initiatives for women's cricket, the most important of them being the implementation of the Women's Premier League in 2023. In addition to that, he also advocated an equal pay structure for men and women, as India became one of the first nations to implement this policy.
Speaking of the administrative changes that came around in the ecosystem, Mithali expressed her contentment behind the fact that the former secretary had a vision for women's cricket.
"So, I think through this, I really like the fact that he (Jay Shah) had the vision," she said. "He's invested in the growth of women's cricket through a very meaningful initiative, and it is so important and necessary as well. Now, they don't necessarily have to be in a position to make a choice.
"You know, being a mother, you still can be an elite athlete and that's a wonderful initiative. So first, as a former secretary, he's the one who implemented the Women's Premier League. He's the one who got pay equity for cricketers in India. And then when he moved to ICC as chair, he's the one who's got the prize money up for the ODI World Cup last year.
"I genuinely believe that when the head of the family or the head of the administration values the welfare of women cricketers and takes these initiatives, it shows that he's really committed to the growth of women's cricket. And we are lucky to have him, you know, being the ICC chair and seeing so many things being advocated and seeing the result of it as well."
The results that have emerged from these initiatives have also garnered rich dividends. Leagues like the WPL have given a robust platform for budding cricketers to showcase their skills in front of huge crowds. The commercial interests and fan engagement in women's cricket have gone up exponentially, and the talent pool has gone wider.
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