Cricket was often what women watched, but now they're starting to play in Saskatchewan.
Photo Credit: CBC News, Sask. / Madeline Kotzer

Cricket brings out women in Saskatchewan

Cricket is a big hit in Saskatchewan, with the help of CBC.

The Titans Divas team grew from 21 women players. to 37. in the 10 days following a story about them was published.

“Almost too much to handle”

Salman Khan, the Titan Sports and Social Club creator, told CBC Saskatchewan that at the last practice the team was ready for 25 players, and 35 women came out.

“Almost too much to handle”, he said.

Cricket play on Canada Day at Stanley Park as a cruise ship sits docked at port in the background, in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday, July 1, 2017. © CP/Darryl Dyck

“We’re coming up with a better structure to help run this growth that we’re seeing,” he said.

“I was looking at our numbers today and thought, ‘this is getting bigger than the men’s.'”

Khan has been operating the club for just over 12 months and the men’s team now has 45 players.

But the attention the women’s team received went international when an Australian cricket club, the ‘Sydney Thunders‘ committed to sponsoring the Titans Divas.

The Sydney club, with a men’s, women’s and youth teams, has several talented well-known players.

They’ll be donating equipment to the Titans, which Khan said is much-needed, and usually, unaffordable.

“It’s a huge thing for us. Many teams around the globe try to get their attention and for them to just kind of pick us…speaks volumes for the coverage we got from CBC,” he said.

There was also the offer to buy the team uniforms, and several team members got invitations to a CanAm United Women’s Cricket Association camp in Vancouver.

“There is a lot of interest now. I’m getting more and more people talking about it, asking us questions about it,” Khan said.

And visits to the club’s website have shot up from around 150 a day to 500 now.

On Saturday August 19th, in a first for Saskatchewan, the Divas tournament will take place.

Khan says with about 40 women expected, he’ll divide them into teams of ten each, to compete.

(With files from CBC)

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