Women's Cricket Pay Equity: The Gap, Progress, and the WPL Era
Women's cricket has historically been played for a fraction of the prize money, broadcast fees, and player salaries compared to the men's game. This guide covers the pay equity gap in cricket, what's changed since 2019, the WPL's impact on women's contracts, and which boards have made the most progress.
Women's cricket pay equity has improved significantly since 2019 but remains far from equal to the men's game. The gap in broadcast revenues (the primary driver of player salaries) reflects a decades-long cycle: less broadcasting investment produces fewer fans, which produces less broadcast revenue, which produces less investment. Breaking this cycle requires boards to invest before the commercial returns justify it — which BCCI did by launching the WPL (Women's Premier League) in 2023, generating franchise sale fees that exceeded analyst expectations.
Historical Pay Gap
As recently as 2017, most major boards offered women cricketers non-professional contracts — playing cricket as a semi-professional activity rather than a full-time career. England's ECB was first to offer professional contracts to women (2014), paying 20 players a full-time salary. Australia (Cricket Australia) followed. Most other boards offered nominal match fees rather than professional salaries — meaning players had to maintain secondary employment or rely on national coaching academy support.
Progress Since 2019
Several boards have moved women's contracts closer to parity since 2019. New Zealand Cricket in 2022 announced equal pay for players with the same international match payment structure regardless of gender — the first major board to formally announce this. ECB's progression has been steady. Cricket Australia increased women's participation funding by 40% between 2017 and 2023. BCCI, historically late to women's cricket investment, made the largest single commitment with the WPL's launch.
What Remains
Even with progress, women's Test cricket remains under-represented: women play fewer Tests than men (typically 2-4 per year for most nations vs 12-15 for top men's teams), receive lower match fees, and play before smaller crowds in smaller venues. Prize money in women's events (ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Women's World Cup) remains significantly below men's equivalents. ICC has committed to addressing this through broadcast revenue redistribution as women's cricket viewership grows.
Frequently asked questions
Do women cricketers earn the same as men?
No — there is still a significant pay gap between men's and women's cricket globally. Some boards (New Zealand Cricket, ECB) have moved toward equal per-match payments. Most boards still pay women significantly less per match than men. The gap in broadcast revenues and prize money remains substantial, reflecting historical underinvestment in women's cricket infrastructure.
What is the Women's Premier League (WPL)?
The Women's Premier League (WPL) is BCCI's franchise T20 competition for women, launched in 2023. Five franchise teams were sold for $572 million combined — the most valuable women's sports franchise auction ever. The WPL player auction resulted in record contract values for Indian and international women cricketers, reflecting BCCI's investment in growing women's cricket commercially.
Which cricket board pays women players most fairly?
New Zealand Cricket was the first major board to formally announce equal per-match payments for men and women (2022). The ECB (England) also leads in women's professional contract structures. Cricket Australia has significantly invested in women's cricket since 2015. BCCI's WPL launch has dramatically increased the ceiling for women's cricket contract values in India.