The plural of batsman; players whose turn it is to hit the ball in cricket or baseball.
From 'bat' (hitting implement) + 'man' (person). Plural form used especially in cricket terminology dating back to the sport's formalization.
Cricket uses 'batsmen' while baseball says 'batters'—it's a fun example of how different countries have completely different sports vocabularies even when they're playing similar games!
Plural of batsman, a cricket term that historically defaulted to male even when women played the same role. The male default in sports terminology reflects centuries of institutional exclusion.
Use 'batters' (baseball) or 'batspeople' (cricket) for gender-neutral reference. When describing a specific team, match participants' actual genders or use 'batters/batting lineup'.
["batters","batspeople","batting lineup","hitters"]
Women's Test cricket (since 1934) and ODI cricket (since 1973) feature players of equal technical skill, yet 'batsmen' remains the default reference in sports media.
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