Cricket’s leading website ESPNcricinfo on Friday announced it would use batter instead of batsmen to bring gender neutrality in its content.
The editor-in-chief of the website, Samit Bal, made the announcement in an article, hoping that it would end some debate over the issue.
“Gender equality as an ideal is an objective that we will struggle for generations to achieve, but gender neutrality in language is easily achievable,” Bal wrote in his article.
Referring to some other cricketing terminologies that are often perceived as discriminatory, Bal said the term "batsman" is rather palatable.
“It can be argued that ‘batsman’ isn't in the same league because it's not overtly offensive, and when applied to male cricketers it is accurate and can't be described as discriminatory,’ he wrote.
“It can be further argued that using "batswoman" for female cricketers is perfectly palatable and that it doesn't tamper with the game's basic vernacular,” Bal added.
“But the problem lies in the sovereignty of one term over another. The discrimination is in the manner the word "batsman" appropriates our very concept of batting and all the associated imagery that goes with it. Those who bat are batsmen, unless specified otherwise,” he said.
