Sexism in Cricket Journalism: How Social Media Changed the Sport's Culture

I recall the India-England ODI at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai 24 years ago, which was my first cricket coverage. England defeated India by five runs. Andrew Flintoff ran across the field twirling his shirt after winning. Sourav Ganguly responded with his famous shirt-waving celebration at Lord's. At that time, there were very few women in the cricket press box. I was one of the two women present. My work was compared to male colleagues and questioned. I covered the 2026 World Cup, the 2026-08 Australia series, the 2026 T20 World Cup, and the 2026 World Cup. I interviewed Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, and Brian Lara. After every major event, I brought back my experiences. But gradually, the environment of cricket journalism changed. Social media connected journalists directly to audiences. This change was positive but also negative. Now journalists face continuous comments, criticism, and sometimes misinformation. Gender inequality in cricket media began in the press box. There were few female journalists. I was compared to male colleagues. Social media gradually gave this inequality a new shape. Now female journalists face direct attacks. These attacks are not only professional but also personal. Gender-based comments, colorism, and political accusations are made. Sometimes these attacks escalate to physical threats. The hidden information is that the journalism environment in the past was different. Personal attacks were fewer and professional criticism was more. But social media broke this boundary. Now every comment reaches the journalist directly. This situation has become harder for female journalists. Male journalists also face this, but attacks on women are often gender-based. Some believe social media democratized cricket journalism. This is true, but it also brought a side effect. Now journalists need more courage to speak up. When they speak on social issues, they face attacks. For example, after Sourav Ganguly's statement, I faced severe opposition. I gave my response, and after that many accusations were made against me. The cricket industry must understand that journalist safety is also an important issue. If female journalists do not feel safe, they cannot continue their careers. This is not just a social issue but can be harmful to the cricket industry. Without journalist safety and respect, cricket journalism's future cannot smile. In conclusion, gender inequality and social media's negative effects in cricket journalism are a serious problem. The industry must work to solve it. Journalists should get a safe environment to work without fear. Cricket's future depends not only on players but also on journalism quality and safety.