England to Implement Equal Starting Salaries for Men and Women Cricketers

In a landmark move for gender equality in sports, England will introduce equal starting salaries for men and women across professional domestic cricket from next year, as announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday.

The initiative will be applicable to players at both the ‘Rookie’ and ‘Senior Pro’ levels, according to the ECB. This decision marks the first introduction of a Rookie level in the women’s game, designed as a player’s initial professional contract. Meanwhile, the Senior Pro level targets established players within first teams.

The ECB’s Professional Game Committee, comprising representatives from the First-Class County (FCC), the Professional Cricketers' Association, and the ECB itself, has given the green light to the starting salaries and salary budget. The pay parity is part of a broader restructuring effort in women’s professional cricket, which follows the announcement aligning men’s and women’s professional white-ball competitions for the upcoming season.

“Equalising starting salaries across our men’s and women’s professional domestic game is another positive step forward for women’s cricket in England and Wales,” stated Beth Barrett-Wild, Director of Women’s Professional Game, in an official announcement. She emphasized the importance of presenting cricket as a “sustainable and viable career option for women,” an endeavor reinforced by suitable remuneration.

Next year’s revamped domestic women’s structure will see the eight FCCs with tier-one status maintaining minimum squad sizes of 15 contracted players, with a salary cap set at 800,000 pounds per annum. Additionally, the FCCs are obligated to invest at least 500,000 pounds in player salary costs by 2025.

The Oval will host the inaugural T20 Blast Women’s Finals Day on July 27 next year, and the first edition of the One Day Cup Women's Final is scheduled for September 21 at the Utilita Bowl.