Vinod Rai comes up with more shocking revelations: Men's jerseys were re-stitched for women!

Bengaluru, April 19: As the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 continues to rake in the moolah, Vinod Rai, the ex-chairman of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) appointed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has opened a pandora's box by highlighting plight of the women's cricketers in the country in a recent interview with The Week.

Rai has been in the news for all wrong reasons after his book Not just a Nightwatchman was released in which he has written about his tumultous tenure in cricket administration.

It may be recalled that Rai had served as the head of the Supreme Court-appointed CoA of the BCCI.

The 33-month stint that lasted between 2017 and 2019 witnessed one of the most controversial incidents in Indian cricket -- the Anil Kumble vs Virat Kohli spat -- which he has discussed length in his book.

Virat Kohli vs Anil Kumble Rift: Former CoA chief Vinod Rai opens up about bitter episode in his book

However, there was an equally bigger revelation that he made in his book which highlights the sad state of women's cricket in India.

Rai said one of his greatest regret that was he could not pay enough attention to women's cricket, making the most saddening revelation that the earlier jerseys used by women cricketers were actually re-stitched from men's jerseys.

Speaking about the sad state of affairs of women's cricket in India, Rai revealed in the freewheeling interview that that he had to call-up then kit manufacturers Nike to ask them to design women's jerseys separately as earlier the men's jersey's were being "cut-up and re-stitched" for the women.

"I do not think women's cricket has been given the attention it deserves. Unfortunately, women cricketers had not been taken seriously till about 2006, when Mr Sharad Pawar took the initiative to merge the men's and women's association. I was aghast to know that men's uniforms were being cut up and re-stitched for women's players. I had to ring up Nike and tell them that this was not on and that their design would be different.

"I sincerely believe the girls deserved much better when it came to training, coaching facilities, cricketing gear, travel facilities and, finally, match fees and retainers. That was lacking and we tried to rectify it," Rai added.

He also added that women's cricket got its due attention only after India reached the final of the 2017 ICC Womens' World Cup, in which Harmanpreet Kaur played a knock of 171 not out to power India to the final.

"That is an alibi for not doing things. Unless you give them support, how are they going to win a trophy? If they could not win in Australia or England, the main thing was mind conditioning. Every team has those mental trainers and sports psychologists.

"My regret was that I had not given due attention to women's cricket till the match in which Harmanpreet Kaur scored 171 not out in the 2017 ICC Women's World Cup against Australia.

Harmanpreet (Kaur) told me, "Sir, I was cramping so I had to hit sixes as I could not run much!" They were told at the hotel that they could not get the food they were supposed to, so they had samosas for breakfast that morning!," Rai revealed further in the interview which has sent shock waves all over the cricket community.

(With inputs from Agencies)