Kashmiri cricketer blames cricket associations for ignoring her

27 November, 2012

A budding cricketer from Kashmir, who has already represented his state at the national level is feeling let down at the hands of very people who are supposed to support her - the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

SUMMAYA ISHAQ, who hails from conservative Kashmir region harbours dreams to make it big some day, but she allegedly finds little support from the cricket bodies. Anyone who watches Ms Ishaq play cricket in her village will quickly judge the talent, she has been gifted with. His sheer timing to hit the ball with perfection is a delight to watch.

She is equally good in bowling as well and has played at least a dozen matches at the national level, but her flight to success has been delayed, allegedly due to indifference of JKCA.

“Cricketing bodies have marred my talent and discouraged me so much that I am forced to play within the (court) yard of my house. They have chosen to ignore me and my talent,” Ms Ishaq alleged. But that hasn't stopped her from dreaming to making it big, as she can be spotted practising regularly at a local playground in village in south Kashmir's Shopian district.

Pertinently, Ms Ishaq, who made debut at national level in 2007 in Indore, has played at least 11 matches at state-level under Zonal Cricket Academy (ZCA) in many states across India.

Being a conservative society, not many Kashmiri women participated in sports, but the trend has changed in the recent past with women, mostly from schools and colleges making their mark on cricket and football fields, among others.

Finding that she was not much interested in studies, Ms Ishaq's parents encouraged her to choose cricket as her career. If properly groomed, Ms Ishaq can very well become the first girl from the valley to play at the international level.