Cricket Australia's new pay deal rewards women' cricketers, BBL salary cap to be increased

Cricket Australia is set to lift salary cap for its domestic Twenty20 league by 50% and increase minimum and aver pay for women’s national team by 25% as part of a five-year deal agreed with player union.

salary cap for each team in men’s Big Bash League will increase to 3 million Australian dollars (US$2 million) as sport’s Australian administrators try to keep best local talent and attract high-profile overseas stars in an international market sprinkled with lucrative franchise T20 leagues.

“We have recognized need to ensure that BBL remains highly competitive in a changing global cricket landscape,” Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said Monday. “We’re confident this agreement will help maintain its place at heart of Australian summer.”

Cricket Australia anunced a 66% increase in payments to professional women cricketers across span of agreement, saying top contract holder in world champion team has capacity to make 1 million Australian dollars ($670,000) a year with national and women’s BBL deals and payments from franchise tournaments in India and England included.

women’s national contract list will increase from 15 to 18 players.

At domestic level, aver pay for women's players on state and WBBL contracts will increase to AU$150,000 ($100,000).

“Cricket w clearly offers best earning opportunities of any team sport for elite female sportspeople," in Australia, Hockley said.

new deal, he said, "represents ar major step forward in rise of women’s cricket with significant increases in remuneration for

inspirational role models of world champion Australian women’s team and WBBL who are driving substantial growth in female participation.”

24 men on central contracts with Cricket Australia under new deal will have an aver pay increase of 7.5% to AU$951,000 ($630,000), before match payments for participation in test matches, one-day internationals or T20 internationals.