England’s women cricketers are to receive the same match fees as the men. The England and Wales Cricket Board has decided to reflect the surging popularity of women’s sport – and adopt one of the key recommendations of the landmark report published in June by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket – by moving a step closer to equal pay.
In doing so, the ECB follows a national trend – the Football Association has paid men and women the same appearance money since January 2020 – and an international one, after both New Zealand and India announced similar moves in 2022. The change will take immediate effect with the women involved in the T20 against Sri Lanka at Hove on Thursday paid the same as the men who started their T20 series against New Zealand in Durham on Wednesday.
The ICEC report into discrimination in the game on the grounds of race, gender and class concluded that “women receive an embarrassingly small amount compared to men”, with appearance fees just one cause of the disparity. The commission had “received credible evidence that the average salary for England Women [in 2022-23] is 20.6% of the average salary for England Men for playing white ball cricket”, though the ECB disputed the figure, estimating it at 30%. The report called for equal match fees “with immediate effect” and other forms of pay, including average salaries, to be equal by 2028.
The ECB said the move was primarily a reflection of the commercial success of the dramatic women’s Ashes series this year, which was watched by more than 110,000 people, attracted sell-out crowds to Taunton, Bristol and Hampshire and set attendance records for women’s internationals at Edgbaston, the Oval and Lord’s.
“This summer’s thrilling Women’s Ashes series demonstrated how women’s cricket is continuing to grow at pace in this country, with record attendances and TV viewing,” said Richard Gould, chief executive of the ECB. “Growing the women’s and girls’ game is a key priority for us, and in recent years we have considerably increased investment both in building a domestic women’s structure to produce the players of the future, and in increasing player rewards.
“In the years ahead we will continue to invest ahead of revenues. We are considering all the recommendations made by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, but equalising match fees is one immediate step we are pleased to make now.
“We all want cricket to be the team sport of choice for female athletes, and with the investments we are making – and increasingly lucrative opportunities around the world – we are seeing cricketers become some of the highest earning female athletes in UK team sports. However, we know there is still much further to go as we ultimately strive for equality across the game.”
There remain huge disparities between the financial rewards available in men’s and women’s cricket with the maximum salary in the women’s Hundred is £31,250 while for men it is £125,000. But less than a decade after the ECB lauded “the dawning of a fully professional era” by giving 18 women central contracts in 2014, the opportunities and rewards offered in the women’s game continue to blossom.
“It’s mad when you look back to 2010 when I started, we barely got expenses,” said Heather Knight, the England women’s captain.
“To now be in a position to be professional and earn a decent living from the game is obviously really pleasing. It’s a reward for what’s been a remarkable summer.
“The Ashes felt like a real watershed moment. This is following on from that and just another progression. It’s really pleasing but hopefully there are more things down the line that will continue to improve.”
