Global eSports replays the Women's World Cup final as the 'protest match'

Global eSports and Isobar India partnered to recreate the Women's Cricket World Cup final earlier this year. 

 

The recreated final featured the Afghanistan women’s cricket team that was streamlined from playing cricket by the Taliban last year. Called, 'The Protest Match', the e-sports final coincided with the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup final which was won by Australia on 3 April.

 

Global eSports recreated the Afghanistan Women’s Cricket Team virtually on Cricket 19: The Official Game of the Ashes, and paired them opposite Australia. E-sport gamer and influencer, Monika Jeph – aka Sherlock, played against the Afghanistan women and the match was live streamed on YouTube, Loco and Twitch. 

 

Roya Samim, who was running to become the Afghanistan Women’s Team captain, supported the campaign and shared an appeal video to get people to be a part of it.

 

Mohit Israney and Rushindra Sinha, founders, Global eSports, said, "Gaming and e-sports have historically unified the world. We have seen players from different countries play together as teammates on almost every server. When we saw what has happened to the Afghanistan Women’s team, we were more than happy to use gaming to build awareness of the cause and more importantly give them a chance to play the game they love. We felt that we owe it to players to stand by them. The virtual world is all about infinite possibilities. It is borderless and genderless. It is the perfect place to make the impossible happen, which I think we did with this campaign.”

 

Heeru Dingra, CEO, Isobar India group, said, “We keep talking about how far we have progressed in creating a gender-neutral world but the fact remains that such imbalances are still very much our reality and part of our social fabric. And, as long as these biases exist, with them will co-exist our spirit to correct them. The Isobar India group is not just about using technology or creating innovations but is about using technology and innovation to solve real human problems. It is truly an honour to be a part of this campaign.”

 

Aalap Desai, CCO, Isobar India and Taproot Dentsu, said, “In the world of today, we are a vocal lot and we are all one. When we came across this issue, it moved us. It made us really think about how such a basic thing like the right to play cricket can have a deep emotional impact and reflect chasms in today’s society. So, if the problem was new, we thought why shouldn't our protest be new too? If the problem is getting surfaced through cricket, can we make the mere act of playing, the act of batting and bowling a sign of protest itself - an idea that the world has never seen before? Despite the team being banned, can they still play what they always dreamt of - the Women’s World Cup? And that’s how the protest play came about.”

 

CREDITS:

 

Team Global eSports

 

Founders: Mohit Israney and Dr Rushindra Sinha

Founding member, head of live production/ broadcast: Rahul Hinduja

Head of league operations/professional caster: Jaideep Sood

Head of e-sports: Vatsal Uniyal

Head of content: Gary Chiu

Social media: Parth Pimpalkar

Editor: Karthik Raj, Harsh Sachdev

Live production/broadcast: Shrikrishna Purohit, Raunak Nagdeo 

 

Team Isobar India group

CEO, Isobar India group: Heeru Dingra

COO, Perfect Relations: Sanjeev Anand

CCO, Isobar India and Taproot Dentsu: Aalap Desai

Managing partner, Isobar India: Rahul Vengalil

Branch director, Perfect Relations: Jyotsna Dash Nanda

Executive creative director, Isobar India: Anadi Sah

Senior vice president, strategy, Isobar India: Pragati Rana

Associate vice president, Isobar India: Prashant Lodaya

Senior creative director, Isobar India: Rohit Mukherjee

Senior creative director, Isobar India: Sreejita Chakraborty

National films head, Isobar India: Taj Ali

Digital production head, Isobar India: Nitish Sarkar

Director, account management, Isobar India: Rumi Behramkamdin

Associate creative director, art, Isobar India: Mayuri Patil

Manager, brand strategy, Isobar India: Varun Sekar

Group head, art, Isobar India: Nitin Dhumal

Lead, innovations, Isobar India: Pratik Shringi

Senior designer, digital production, Isobar India: Kanav Gupta

Designer, digital production, Isobar India: Reuben Hnamte

Regional head, tech, WATConsult: Avinash Tiwari

Senior web developers, WATConsult: Pranali Patil,  Asmita Rane

Producer, Isobar India: Chitiz Shandilya

Regional head, planning and strategy, WATConsult: Shanu Jain