How the ‘Gentleman’s Game’ can empower women in the workplace

It all began in the late 16th century in a forest called Weald in south-east England. Some children tossed a ball and tried to hit it away with a stick. The objective of the game was to prevent the ball from hitting a wicket gate behind the player (hence the present name, wicket). The game of cricket was born and, as they say, the rest is history.

There is much speculation about whether it actually began in the 1300s or even earlier, and whether it was actually the Dutch or the French who invented cricket. The name may have been derived from the Dutch word for a stick, kricke or the Old English word, cricc, or the French word, criquet.

Irrespective of its true origins, the game soon came to be the favorite of the affluent class in England, and was deemed to epitomize the virtues of a gentleman—competitive but fair and honest. In fact, the idiom, “that’s not cricket” now refers to any unfair practice or activity.

Though it was known as the “gentleman’s game,” the ladies were not far behind. The visual above depicts a cricket match played by the Countess of Derby and other ladies in 1779 and is the first record of women’s cricket in history.[1]

That said, it has not been an even contest by any standards. Consider these rather telling statistics.[2]

Clearly, for women, it’s not a level playing field—pun intended.

For a detailed commentary on the gender-based pay gaps, difficulties in finding sponsors, and other challenges that women cricketers face, check out Free Hit: The Story of Women's Cricket in India .

But what does all this have to do with HR?

Cricket and HR

One of the primary roles of HR is team building—and what’s a better way to build teams than, you guessed it, cricket! (That’s not to say that other games are any less useful at team building. In fact, whatever applies to cricket can and does apply to almost every other team sport.)

So, what are the benefits that cricket can offer your female—and male—employees?

·????? Teamwork

As the saying goes, “team work makes the dream work.” So the skills that women learn on the field will help them excel and achieve at work as well.

?·????? Physical health

Adults need to have 150 minutes of physical activity per week.[3] Playing cricket is a great way to get those minutes and build a lifelong habit of combining fun with exercise.

?·????? Communication skills

Playing cricket involves a lot of verbal and nonverbal communication. Building those skills can go a long way in helping women get ahead at work.

?·????? Bonding

When you’re part of a team—whether you win or lose—you form strong bonds that often last a lifetime, and work wonders on the field as well as in the boardroom.

?·????? Confidence building

In team sports like cricket, every member plays a part and contributes to the final outcome, which helps build the players’ self-esteem and confidence.

?·????? Discipline

Success in any team sport demands a certain level of discipline—just like at work. Seeing the results of a disciplined approach helps keep teams motivated to put in consistent efforts.

?·????? Stress management

Last but not least, playing team sports like cricket are a great way to destress after a long, hard week at work. Exercise releases endorphins, which are part of the “happy hormones” that put you in a more positive state of mind.

What we do at Zuci

We’re all for sports and regularly organize team matches for women and men.

In fact, we just wrapped up our own Women’s Premier League 2024 or WPL ’24. It was an amazing journey with four teams participating.

This photograph has the winning team, the Rainbow Riders, who took the trophy. (Congratulations Team Rainbow Riders and a huge shoutout to all the participants for their incredible energy and sportsmanship!)

Activities like these help us bridge the gap between genders and are part of a conscious, concerted, and constant effort to achieve and maintain parity. Interestingly, we also recently won the Great Place for Women to Work by Avtar and Sermount in their Best Companies for Women in India list.

And, women make up almost half of our workforce—44.62% to be precise.

Sports like cricket are played equally by both men and women, however, there is a glaring gap in the rewards offered to each gender. HR leaders can play a pivotal role in eliminating such gender divides by supporting and promoting women employees through team sports, helping them to assimilate better at the workplace and excel at their work.

Cricket and all such team activities are just one of the simple things that organizations can do to help support and integrate women in the workplace.

We’re planning a badminton championship next—what about you? What activities do you conduct or plan to conduct at your workplace?

?Image sources:

1.???? Cricket Match Played by the Countess of Derby and Other Ladies – Wikipedia ?

2.???? WPL ’24 – Zuci Internal

References:

1.???? According to Wikipedia

2.???? As per a study by MMA Global

3.???? Based on guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)