Women's Cricket Pay Equality: The Long Road from Amateur to Professional
For most of cricket's history, women's cricket was entirely amateur — played for love of the sport with no payment whatsoever, while the men's game generated increasing commercial wealth. The first central contracts for women cricketers were offered by England and Australia only in 2014 and 2022 respectively (for Australia, not 2014). Today, women's cricket has professional leagues, ICC equal prize money (announced 2024), and multi-year central contracts — but the journey from unpaid amateurs to professional cricketers took almost a century from women's first international cricket in 1934.
The early history — entirely amateur: women's cricket has a long history — the first women's cricket club was formed in England in 1887, and the first women's Test match was England vs Australia in 1934-35 (91 years after the first men's Test in 1877). But from 1934 to the 2010s, women's cricket operated as an entirely volunteer and amateur activity: players funded their own travel to away series, clubs provided minimal equipment support, and 'payment' was often limited to covering basic expenses during tours. The 1973 Women's World Cup: the women's World Cup (1973) predated the men's (1975) by two years — organised by Rachael Heyhoe-Flint with minimal ICC support. Players contributed to their own expenses. This was not unusual for its era — much of sport was amateur in 1973 — but cricket's professionalisation of the men's game happened dramatically faster than the women's. England's 2014 central contracts: the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) introduced central contracts for England Women players in 2014 — the first time any English women cricketers were paid full-time salaries to play cricket. The initial contracts covered approximately 18 players. This was a watershed moment: for the first time, England women's players could focus on cricket as their primary profession without needing separate employment. Australia's 2022 contracts: Cricket Australia offered contracts to women players earlier than 2014 in some form, but the WBBL (Women's Big Bash League, launched 2015) and the 2022 expansion of central contracts created genuine professional pathways for Australian women cricketers. Cricket South Africa, BCCI, and other boards have progressively added women's contracts in subsequent years.
The Prize Money Gap and ICC's Response'
The ICC prize money gap: for most of women's cricket history, ICC tournament prize money for women was dramatically lower than for men — often by a factor of 10-25x or more. The 2017 Women's World Cup final at Lord's: the ICC offered £1 million total prize money for the women's tournament vs £8-10 million for the equivalent men's tournament in the same era. Despite this disparity, the 2017 Women's World Cup Lord's final (England vs India) attracted 24,000 paying spectators, 2.7 million UK TV viewers, and was credited with transforming interest in women's cricket in England. ICC equal prize money announcement (2024): the ICC announced that the 2024 T20 Women's World Cup (held in the United Arab Emirates after being relocated from Bangladesh, won by New Zealand who beat South Africa by 32 runs in Dubai) would offer equal prize money to the equivalent men's T20 World Cup for the first time. This was a landmark moment for women's cricket's commercial recognition. The gap was never purely about attitude — the commercial revenue generated by women's cricket (from broadcast rights, sponsorship, and attendance) was genuinely lower than men's cricket, making equal prize money a financial decision as much as a symbolic one. The rapid growth of women's viewership (especially the 2020 T20 World Cup final at MCG — 86,174 spectators on International Women's Day, largest women's cricket crowd ever) has changed the commercial calculation. Women's IPL (WPL, 2023): the Board of Control for Cricket in India launched the Women's Premier League in 2023 — a franchise T20 league with 5 teams. The broadcast rights sold for a record amount for women's cricket, and the salary pool for players (including large overseas signings) created the first genuinely substantial income for women cricketers from franchise cricket. The 2023 WPL sold broadcast rights to JioCinema and Sports18 for approximately Rs 951 crore ($116 million) — a massive valuation for women's cricket.
The Current Landscape of Women's Cricket Professionalism'
Where women's cricket stands professionally in 2025: the profession of women's cricket has transformed more in the decade 2015-2025 than in the preceding century. Current professional structure: (1) Central contracts: England, Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka all now offer some form of central contracts to their women's international players. Salary levels range from AUD$30,000-$400,000 (Australia) to £25,000-£250,000 (England) depending on contract tier. (2) Franchise leagues: WPL (India, 5 teams), Women's Big Bash (Australia, 8 teams), Charlotte Edwards Cup/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (England professional county competition), Women's Super Smash (New Zealand). These leagues pay player fees from a few thousand to tens of thousands of pounds per season. (3) ICC World events: Women's T20 World Cup, Women's ODI World Cup, Women's Champions Trophy (newly structured), Women's Tests (sporadic). The pay gap that remains: even with these improvements, elite women cricketers earn significantly less than equivalent-level men's cricketers. An England women's cricketer on an ECB top-tier contract earns approximately £250,000; an equivalent-tier England men's cricketer earns approximately £600,000-£1,000,000. An Indian women's BCCI retainer is approximately Rs 50 lakh (£47,000); a men's Grade A BCCI retainer is Rs 7 crore (£660,000) — a 14x gap. The commercial reality is that men's cricket still generates dramatically more broadcast revenue, sponsorship, and attendance than women's cricket — though that gap is narrowing faster than ever.
Frequently asked questions
When did women's cricket become professional?
Women's cricket professionalism developed gradually: England introduced central contracts in 2014 (first country to pay women cricketers as full-time professionals). Australia expanded professional contracts significantly around 2022 with the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL, launched 2015) as a major driver. India's Women's Premier League (WPL, 2023) was the most significant step — franchise cricket with substantial player salaries comparable to professional sporting contracts. The ICC announced equal prize money for women's tournaments in 2024.
What was the biggest crowd ever for women's cricket?
The 2020 Women's T20 World Cup Final at the MCG (Melbourne, March 8, 2020 — International Women's Day) attracted 86,174 spectators — the largest crowd in women's cricket history and the largest cricket crowd in MCG history. Australia beat India by 85 runs. The attendance exceeded even many men's Test matches at the same venue and demonstrated that women's cricket could fill major venues with the right marketing, scheduling, and team quality.
Are men's and women's cricketers paid equally?
No — a significant pay gap remains between men's and women's cricket at all levels, though it is narrowing. In England: women's top contracts reach £250,000; men's top contracts reach £600,000-£1,000,000. In India: women's Grade A BCCI contracts pay Rs 50 lakh (£47,000); men's pay Rs 7 crore (£660,000) — a 14x gap. The ICC announced equal prize money for equivalent tournaments in 2024 — a landmark step. The gap reflects genuine commercial revenue differences: men's cricket generates more broadcast rights income, sponsorship, and attendance globally, though women's cricket's commercial growth rate is significantly faster.
What is the Women's Premier League (WPL) in cricket?
The Women's Premier League (WPL) is India's franchise T20 women's cricket competition, launched by BCCI in 2023 with 5 teams: Mumbai Indians Women, Delhi Capitals Women, Royal Challengers Bangalore Women, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants Women. Broadcast rights sold for approximately Rs 951 crore ($116 million) — a record for women's cricket. The WPL attracts the world's best women cricketers for each season. Smriti Mandhana, Meg Lanning, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Ellyse Perry are among its marquee players.