Regina women want to play cricket competitively, but their teams keep folding
Filmmaker Ayesha Mohsin takes a closer look in a short documentary for the CBC Creator Network
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Cricket is one of the world's most recognized sports, played in 120 countries worldwide. So why is it so difficult to keep women's teams up and running in Regina?
The Queen City has more than 24 clubs and at least 30 teams. But all of them are for men.
There has been at least one women's team — affiliated with local club the Titans — in the past.
Filmmaker Ayesha Mohsin has played cricket. She wanted to profile the Titans women's team this spring in a mini-documentary for CBC's Creator Network. But that wasn't possible, because the team had gradually fizzed out.
Instead, Mohsin interviewed people about why the sport is important to them and what needs to be done to help get a women's team back in action.
Misbah Rasool is one of the people that hopes women's cricket can make a comeback in Regina. The player and coach comes from a family with a long cricket history. Her father was a cricket star in Pakistan, her brother played for a club in Regina and her son Baidar Bakht played on Canada's U19 team.
Rasool's daughter Minahil Fatima said she's grown up watching her mother and other family members play cricket.
"That sport really brings her happiness. Like, even now watching the game, she's like the first one on it," said Fatima. "She's like the most happy about it. Even now you can ask her, and she'll be ready to play, like, any day now."
Krishna Trivedi and Aeshaben Vyas were also part of the now-defunct Titan's women's team. They both say they hope to get another team going.
"The first game I have ever played outdoors was cricket," Trivedi said. "I love cricket because it keeps you healthy."
Vyas said she loved the social aspect and camaraderie.
"I met so many friends after coming to Canada, being a part of a women's cricket team," Vyas said. "I met 12 lovely people … we just become like a family, and I really miss them right now."
The Titans club said the women's team was disbanded due to a lack of money and a lack of interest.
Meanwhile, the Titan's men's teams are thriving, with eight to nine new teams cropping up in Regina this season alone.
Many of the players were born and raised in Saskatchewan, while others are new Canadians from countries including Pakistan, India, Nepal, South Africa and England — where the sport originated in the 16th century and has been the national sport for more than 200 years.
Cricketer Arham Syed agreed that women need more opportunities in the sport.
"I think women's cricket should definitely be incorporated in western society. And I think the RCA (Regina Cricket Association) and SCA (Saskatoon Cricket Association) should definitely put together some organization in the way they are doing for the men and the kids," he said.
The Saskatchewan Cricket Association has members in Regina, Saskatoon, Davidson, Weyburn and Prince Albert.
The Saskatoon Association runs programs for kids, including an under-19 program for girls. The Regina Association's website says it eventually hopes to do the same.
Cricketer and coach Alfred Trotman said those kids programs are essential to boosting the numbers of female players.
"In terms of making women's cricket better, I think they need to be programming for young kids, for young girls, on the community level. And then translate that into a school program and do some development with it," Trotman said.
Besides that, Trotman said there needs to be more money for women's teams, and more people committed to putting in the time and effort.
The women Mohsin interviewed for her documentary agreed and said it would be worth it. The sport keeps women active, and brings a sense of community and purpose.
"I feel like it gives you the opportunity to like, go out and be more than just a homemaker," said Minahil Fatima. "Because women are just very stigmatized, being like, oh your job is to just take care of kids or like, be there for your husband."
For now, the women will continue to head out to the pitch and play casually. But they hope they can push more people to get involved, get excited and bring competitive women's cricket back to Regina.
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With files from Ayesha Mohsin