Indian women cricketers finally land pay parity with male counterparts
BCCI’s new pay equity policy ensures equal match fees for all cricketers representing India, irrespective of gender
Finally, its good news for the women stars of the Indian cricket team. The Board for Control of Cricket (BCCI) has brought in a new policy wherein women cricketers who are contracted to play for the country would earn the same amount of money as match fee as their male counterparts.
The board’s new pay equity policy, which was made known by BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Thursday ensures that women cricketers appearing in international matches for the country will be paid the same match fees as the male cricketers. The new policy makes it sure that both women and men cricketers will now be eligible for Rs 15 lakh for a Test appearance.
Exciting news for women cricketers
Besides, they will earn Rs 6 lakh for a one-day international (ODI) and Rs 3 lakh for a T20I match. Compared to the current earnings that stand at Rs 1 lakh for an ODI or T20I appearance, and Rs 4 lakh for a Test match, the women players stand to earn much.
The discriminatory scenario has been much debated on public circles since long. In effect the new pay equity policy may be seen as a major leap in BCCI’s move towards ending discrimination. Jay Shah has received the support from BCCI’s Apex Council toward bringing in the new policy. Jay Shah has been quoted by a report saying that the new decision is a commitment to India’s women cricketers.
Ace woman player and former captain of the Indian women’s squad Mithali Raj, who seemed excited by the new decision termed it as historic. According to her, the pay equity policy along with the WIPL next year will herald a new era for women’s cricket in India.
Annual retainer fees too to be revisited
However, BCCI’s annual retainers for women players hasn’t changed as yet. The current scenario is that the highest retainer set of cricketers are paid Rs 50 lakh, while Grade B and Grade C players get Rs 30 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively. This when compared with the male cricketers, it may be seen that the retainer bracket comes in four categories, where Grade A+ get Rs 7 crore and Grades A, B and C get Rs 5 crore, Rs 3 crore and Rs 1 crore respectively. A huge difference, indeed.
It is being said that this also would change soon as BCCI has already kicked off parleys with top women cricketers in India to lay a roadmap towards this end.
