By Shyanak Ghoshal
In an attempt to bridge pay-parity between India’s male and female international cricketers, the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) reconstituted apex council has matched match-fees of international women’s cricketers with the same for their male counterparts.
As a result, according to a BCCI statement on Thursday, the women’s cricketers will be paid Rs. 15 lakh, Rs. 6 lakh and Rs. 3 lakh, respectively, for Test, ODI and T20Is, respectively, they feature in. The revision is at least a three-fold hike, with the match-fees for Test matches having been hiked six- times than the existing Rs. 2.5 lakh per Test. While newly-elected BCCI president Roger Binny referred to the development as “a marquee decision on pay equity”, secretary Jay Shah stated the move as “an important step towards tackling discrimination”. Treasurer Ashish Shelar felt the decision will be a “game-changer” for women’s cricket in India. It remains to be seen if the BCC revises the annual retainer for women’s cricketers as well. At present, the retainer for top women’s cricketers in India is seven per cent of the same for top men’s cricketers. Besides, the domestic match-fees structure for women’s cricketers is also in need for a relook to create a feeder system. According to the Future Tours Programme (FTP) released by the International Cricket Council, India’s men’s team is set to play 38 Tests, 42 ODIs and 61 T20Is in the four.
News Mania Desk
