Cricket Australia has recently announced a deal that increases financial support for professional cricket players. The five-year deal includes significant salary increases for both male and female cricket players. Furthermore, it will also raise salary caps for the men’s Big Bash League by 50%.
The deal includes a 66% increase in payments for professional women’s cricket players. This will make the top cricket players in the women’s national team 1 million Australian dollars each year, including payments from franchise tournaments in India and England. The minimum and average salary for those signed to state and Women Big Bash contracts will also be increased to AU$150,000 ($100,000).
The 24 men on central contracts within Cricket Australia will also experience an average pay rise of 7.5% to AU$951,000 ($630,000). This will also be supplemented by match payments for participation in test matches, one-day internationals or T20 internationals.
The agreement is decisive move by Cricket Australia to maintain the Big Bash League’s competitive nature in an increasingly profitable international market. It’s chief executive, Nick Hockley, attested the need to ensure “the BBL remains highly competitive in a changing global cricket landscape”. He went on to say that the deal is another major step forward in the growth of women’s cricket and acknowledges the role of outstanding role models in the world champion Australian women’s team and the WBBL.
Cricket Australia has also become the first high-profile team sport in Australia to commit to providing equal remuneration to its male and female players. The deal, alongside sustained female participation numbers, is a positive sign for future generations of girls involved in team sports.
