Women Cricketers Equal Pay: Why This Move Sets Course For Change
Women cricketers will receive INR 15 lakh for a Test match, INr 6 lakh for an ODI match and INRs 3 lakhs for T20I game. The announcement comes days after BCCI declared that the inaugural Women’s IPL would be held in March 2023.
BCCI announced equal pay for women cricketers on Thursday. They will receive the same match fee as their male counterparts. The inaugural Women's IPL will be held in March 2023. However, there are still gaps between the pay and retainers for female players. The highest retainer for Grade A criceters is INR 50 lakh, while Grade B is valued at INr 30 lakh. Grade C players are valued less at around INRs 10 lakh
BCCI paid top female cricketers a lesser fee than male players. Smriti Mandhana said she will ask for equal pay when women's cricket starts earning revenue. She doesn't think her teammates are thinking about the gender pay gap as they are focused on winning matches for India.
Mandhana was right to say that the system is rigged. She was 14 when she first started watching cricket. After IPL launched in 2008, she didn't follow women's cricket for several years. Now she supports the women’s team and supports them as well. The team recently won a seventh Asia Cup title and a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. The audience for women cricket has grown significantly. Women's team has been garnering the attention of massive crowds and generating ticket sales. Former Team India Captain Mithali Raj called the equal pay decision of the BCCI a historical one.
BCCI announced the WIPL at its Annual General Meeting this month. The WipL will be held in India. It will take place 15 years after the IPL. IPP has had its share of controversies but it has given opportunities, fame and financial security to players. With women cricketers entering a league of their own, the financial dynamics are bound to surge. Companies are willing to bet on female criceters. Women don't serve crumbs in any circumstance. They deserve equal pay and significant coverage by the media and cricket fans.
Women cricketers are being paid equal pay.
