India’s cricket cheerleaders

The World

India’s new cricket league seems made for television and by bringing in American-style cheerleaders it’s guaranteeing plenty of coverage. The Indian media has picked up on the story as well. This historian who feels that it’s demeaning to women and distracts from the game have been echoed by others, including politicians. It all began when one team imported cheerleaders from the Washington Redskins NFL team, and now all the new cricket teams have them. They don’t look different from cheerleaders in the US and their main job is to fill the time in between the cricket pitch and fans love them. The Indian Premier League has brought a whole new style of cricket to India, some would say an Americanized version; a phenomenonalized version. And it’s obvious from the huge popularity that this is exactly what the Indian youth are looking for today.

Do you support journalism that strengthens our democracy?

At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.

Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!