While India’s recent triumph in cricket is a moment of national pride, it also calls for self-reflection in terms of inclusivity of the players from all walks of life
India recently won the International T20 cricket tournament by defeating South Africa in a thrilling final, played in the American contenent. The Indian team’s performance throughout the tournament was exemplary and showed their skill and determination to win the trophy.
However, this success also raises a debate about the under-representation of the communities that form the majority of India’s population.
A look at the composition of the winning team shows that of the 15 players, seven are upper caste Hindus, three are from Other Backward Castes (OBCs), one Dalit, two Sikhs, one Muslim and one Christian.
India’s cricket history shows that Dalits or lower caste Hindus have been hardly included in the cricket team and at different levels. Out of a total of 300 cricketers in past 100 years, only six or seven Dalit players made it to the national cricket team.
It is true, that selection in cricket should ideally be based on merit and not on caste or region. The game has increasingly become a mix of business and entertainment, similar to Bollywood, where players become worth of billions of rupees. A surefire and quick way these days to earn name, fame and wealth
Therefore, the question arises as to why an overwhelming majority of the country’s population is not being groomed for a lucrative cricketing career from the grassroots level. Are players from lower castes being deliberately excluded or is it due to inadequate preparation and opportunities?
Of the seven upper caste players, four are Brahmins, two are Vaishyas and one is a Rajput.
In the last 100 years, the percentage of upper castes in the Indian team has been much higher than their share in country’s population. For some time now, since Suryakant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Akshar Patel etc. have been given a chance, the representation of OBC players has increased over the time.
But in general, the national team is still dominated by the Brahmin class, which constitutes only 3.5 per cent of India’s total population. The upper castes, which include Brahmins, Rajputs and Vaishya or Bania, make up about 15 per cent of India’s total population but are disproportionately represented among cricketers.
Even in the current team, the proportion of upper castes is over 46%.
One incident that illustrates the prejudice against Dalit players is when Yuzvendra Chahal, a Dalit player from Gujarat, was derogatorily labelled a “Bhangi” by his teammate Yuvraj Singh.
This led to a complaint to the police by Dalit activists. Singh later apologized for his behaviour. But such incidents reflect an overall mentality that finds it difficult to accept Dalit players in the prestigious arena.
Only a handful of Dalits, including Palwankar Baloo, Eknath Solkar, Karsan Ghavri, Vinod Kambli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal, have played international cricket for India.
-Quota in cricket
Union Minister and Dalit leader Ramdas Athawale once suggested the introduction of a quota for Dalit players in cricket, similar to the inclusion of Black players in South Africa.
This idea was also proposed by Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) Secretary Niranjan Shah in 2008 but met with considerable resistance. He said that at least seven players in the team should come from the lower grades. But there was an uproar in the BCCI and the proposal was banished to the cold chamber.
According to researcher Srivayam Anand, the game of cricket is in perfect harmony with Brahmin customs as unlike other sports, the players do not have to touch each other in this game. Only the bat and the ball are in constant contact.
The historian Ramachandra Guha has recorded that there were several Dalit players in early Indian cricket. Palwankar Baloo, born in 1875, was an eminent Dalit cricketer who was socially ostracised despite his skills.
He came from a family of cobblers (Chamar) and worked at the Bombay Gymkhana Club. British officers discovered his talent and let him bowl then during net practice to improve their batting.
At that time, the local team of the city, known as the Brahmin team, tried to defeat the British team. They included Balu in the team.
Although he mingled with the other players on the field, he was not allowed to come into the dressing room or eat with the other team members. Tea was either served to them in an earthenware pot or they had to bring their own cup from home.
After his return from Europe, the Depressed Class Association in Bombay organised a reception in Balu’s honour, which was also attended by Dalit leaders and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Historian Ramchandra Guha has compared Balu to the heroes of the civil rights movement like American superstars Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali. This great Indian cricketer Palvankar Balu has been forgotten because of his Dalit identity. Hardly anyone knows about him. No monument, no statue and no tournament has been named after him.
Balu’s brothers Shivaram, Ganpath and Vimal also took up cricket. Balu and Shivaram were part of the 1906 Indian team that played a match against the European team. Balu picked up eight wickets in that match. However, despite this performance, he was later dropped. It was feared that he would not ask for the captaincy of the team.
In protest, his brothers also walked away from cricket. In a statement, they said their teammates were humiliating them because of their caste, and if caste was more important than performance, they would quit the game.
-Dalit presence early 20th century
Many Dalits were part of local and national cricket until the early 20th century. But as soon as the rulers of the various states began to promote the sport of cricket, the number of Dalit cricketers declined.
After independence, the corporate sector replaced royal patronage and many other factors came into play in the selection process. Fluency in English, education and sophistication became essential components for a player, as cricket was labelled as a gentleman’s game. This made it difficult for rough and tough villagers to make a career in cricket.
Unlike Dalits, Muslims were comparatively better represented in Indian cricket. Muslim players, especially bowlers, are also well-represented in the Indian Premier League (IPL). They opt bowling probably due to the high cost of batting equipment and training. Sourabh Ganguly had included five Muslim cricketers in his team during his tenure as captain.
After apartheid, South Africa introduced reforms to ensure the representation of non-whites in the sport. The Cricket Association stipulated that at least six non-white players should be included in the national team, which led to the emergence of several prominent non-white cricketers. Despite some resistance, the government emphasised the importance of the team reflecting the diversity of the country. It was argued that like diplomats, sportsmen are also a reflection of the culture, civilisation, way of life and of the country.
The effect of these efforts was that within a few years, South Africa’s cricket academies produced Omar Henry, Herschel Gibbs, Paul Adams, Rabada, Hashim Amla and countless other non-white players who made the country proud. After 2007, it was made mandatory to have at least six non-white players and two of them must be Black Africans.
White players protested against the decision. Famous batsman Kevin Pietersen left the country and joined the English cricket team.
However, the government stated that if the team did not represent the country’s population and its diversity, it was better not to have it. The representation of all sections of the population in the national team did not affect the South African team’s performance. It went through the usual ups and downs but remained a strong cricketing team. In the current tournament, too, it was South Africa along with India that reached the finals, winning all tournament matches.
In summary, while India’s recent triumph in cricket is a moment of national pride, it also calls for self-reflection in terms of its inclusivity. There is a need to give space to all the communities to share the glitz and glamour of cricket.
