How J&K's Roopali Slathia Stepped Out of the Crease to Play a 'Boys' Sport'

From a doctorate in philosophy to playing cricket and then turning into a coach, Jammu girl Roopali Slathia has come quite a way guiding and inspiring girls in Jammu and Kashmir to take up cricket, long considered a 'boys' sport'.

Slathia, 34, started playing cricket at the age of 14 on the streets close to her home in Gurha area of Jammu. She often found herself playing with the neighbourhood boys, as girls saw cricket as more of a boys’ sport. But this did not deter Slathia from swinging her bat, hitting sixes and also bowling – she was a budding all-rounder in the neighbourhood park.

As a teenager, she recalls that once during playing cricket her neighbourhood team was on the verge of losing a match, nu the moment she came in to bat, she hit a six and they won the match. “That really made me happy,” she says, adding that it encouraged  her to pursue cricket as a career.

Having built her reputation as an all-rounder, a top order batswoman and a medium pace bowler, Slathia has made a mark in her 15-year long playing career representing J&K in various state and national-level tournaments.

Since 2010, Roopali has been working as a level-2 coach certified by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). She also happens to be the first woman cricket coach in J&K who has successfully completed the level-B course organised by BCCI in collaboration with Cricket Australia (CA) at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bangalore

Roopali also has a doctorate in philosophy. Recently, she self-published a book on women’s cricket, which was co-authored with another women cricket player from Punjab, titled “Rising spell in Women’s Cricket ” – a comparative study of selected psychological variables among male and female cricketers of Jammu division. The book also profiles contributions of some legendary women crickets who are still serving women’s cricket in India.

In 1996, when Roopali started playing, the concept of women’s cricket was new. There was little encouragement for girls who wanted play cricket and choose it as their career. But she was lucky to have family support, especially by her father.

“My father was always there to encourage me at every step,” she says. “There were times when I thought of giving up cricket, but my family, especially my father, stood behind me, motivating me to keep playing and also continue my studies”, she says.

In 2011, Roopali coached the Indian women probables at NCA, Bangalore and since 2011, she’s been coaching women’s cricket zone teams and J&K senior and junior girls’ teams.

Slathia dons many hats. Apart from being associated with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Academy (JKCA) as a BCCI-certified coach, she’s a lecturer (physical education) in a government girls higher secondary school in Bakshi Nagar, Jammu, after she cleared a public service commission examination.

Roopali Slathia wants the J&K Cricket Association to organise more tournaments for women cricketers, adopt a team, and sponsor it to play in bigger cricket tournaments. Credit: Special arrangement

Since 2008, Roopali has also been coaching young girls in a college ground in Jammu, training them in cricket basics, fitness as also imparting advanced training to women cricketers already playing in various state tournaments.

Slathia believes that despite all the raw talent out there, women’s cricket in J&K is in need of better facilities, good infrastructure and better coaching facilities. “We have the talent but you can’t get results overnight. You’ve to invest in long-term plans and then only good results will show,” she adds.

Even today it is tough for women cricketers in J&K to get much support from the state and society. “Unfortunately, a lot of girls here who want to choose cricket as a career don’t get enough support from their family and society at large,” she says, adding that there are some "very talented women cricket players in the state who can also excel at a bigger stage provided they’re given support, encouraged and trained well in their formative years.”

“I found some very promising girls from Kashmir, especially one girl hailing from South Kashmir’s Tral area, who is very talented,” she says, adding that woman cricketers from Kashmir need to play in some bigger tournaments to gain more confidence. “Unfortunately, they’re victims of circumstances in the conflict-ridden state, but I wish their talent is utilised and honed for bigger tournaments,” she adds.

This why Slathia wants the J&K Cricket Association to organise more tournaments for women cricketers, adopt a team, and sponsor it to play in bigger cricket tournaments in different states.

On the performance of the J&K state women’s cricket team in the recent years, she says consistency is lacking. “Sometimes they do well and sometimes they’re found lacking in proper planning and preparation which is important to achieve good results,” she says, adding that J&K women cricketers can go a long way if they’re encouraged and supported by the state by providing them the required facilities for better training.

Her message for upcoming women cricketers from J&K is: “There’s no shortcut to achieve your goals. Work hard and be sincere towards your game” adding that “cricket can change your life.”

Majid Maqbool is a journalist and editor based in Srinagar, Kashmir. 

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