Leading Australian women’s cricketers might make more than A$1 million ($666,600) year thanks to wage hikes and money made from playing in the Women’s Premier League of India and The Hundred in England, according to reports on Monday.
A player with a top-tier contract and who also competes in the Women’s Big Bash League will now be eligible to earn A$800,000 per year under the terms of the five-year agreement, which includes a headline funding boost for the women of 66%.
In a press release, Nick Hockley remarked, “I am particularly thrilled this (agreement) signals another important step forward in the growth of women’s cricket.” For elite female athletes, cricket today unquestionably provides the best financial potential of any team sport.
The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) and CA agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding that also increased the minimum and average CA contracts for women by 25%.
When players are on parental leave, the contracts and retainers will be guaranteed, and additional payments will be made to assist make up for missing match costs.
In order to account for the amount of players needed for international matches in all three forms, the number of central contracts for men has grown from 20 to 24 annually.
The reward pool for Australia’s Big Bash League increased from A$2m to A$3m in recognition of the growth of profitable Twenty20 events worldwide (BBL).
In light of the shifting nature of the international cricket scene, Hockley continued, “We have recognized the need to guarantee that the BBL stays extremely competitive. We’re convinced that this deal will assist retain its place at the center of the Australian summer.”
Hockley also referred to the “constructive atmosphere of teamwork” that permeated discussions with the ACA, in sharp contrast to the contentious negotiations that took place for the last agreement in 2017.
The income sharing scheme that had supported the agreement with the players for 20 years was then forced to be abandoned by CA.
This arrangement has been maintained over the next five years, with players splitting A$634 million in total over the course of the contract and an additional A$57 million set aside for performance-related remuneration.
