In sports as in politics, women have generally been late starters. While they have been given the voting rights much later than men, even in developed western countries; in almost every major sporting discipline, they have been the second best behind men.
In Olympics, women made their first appearance in 1900, four years after an all-male Olympic and it was only in 2012 that the greatest show on earth became complete with women's participation. In football, the women's world cup began only in 1991, more than six decades after the men's tournament had started in 1930. In hockey, women's world cup began in 1974, three years after the men's got their chance. In tennis, too, the women started after the men.
But one sport has seen a different history and that is none other than cricket. And it is none other than our beloved cricket.
As India go one trouncing each and every opponent in the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup in England, how many of us know yet that the women's world cup had its origin even before the men's tournament? In terms of the general march of human history, it is quite a unique story.
The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, which determines the champions in one-day international format, was first held in the year 1973, two years before Clive Lloyd's men had won their first title at the Lord's.
In those days, the women's cricket was administered by the International Women's Cricket Council (IWCC) and it was really a challenge to find fundings for it. It was because of this reason that not many teams had shown the intent to participate in the tournament as a result of which the gap between the editions got very wide. It was only since 2005 when the IWCC got merged with the International Cricket Council that the women's world cup became more an orderly event, being held after every four years.
The first edition of the women's world cup was won by hosts England after they beat Australia by 92 runs in the final round-robin league to top the table and hence lift the title. The tournament had seven teams with Young England, International XI, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago joining the regular sides like England, Australia and New Zealand.
A total of 10 world cup editions have been played in women's cricket till date and Australia have won six of them. England have won the title three times and New Zealand once. India's best performance so far came in 2005 when they ended as the finalists, losing to Australia in the final in South Africa, just like the men's team had done two years earlier in 2003.
