How Indian women cricketers' new salaries compare to other countries? A detailed analysis

In a historic decision, the BCCI has implemented a pay equity policy for contracted Indian women cricketers, meaning the match fee for both male and female cricketers will be the same moving forward. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah on Thursday announced that the Indian women cricketers will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts, which is Rs. 15 lakh for a Test match, Rs. 6 lakh for an ODI, and Rs. 3 lakh for a T20 International. 

Shah took to his official Twitter handle to confirm the implementation of the pay equity policy for Indian women cricketers. Shah said that pay equity was one of his commitments to Indian women cricketers as he thanked the apex council for their support in making it a reality. Earlier, the Indian women cricketers were paid Rs. 4 lakh for a Test match appearance, and Rs. 1 lakh for an ODI or a T20I game. 

"I’m pleased to announce @BCCI’s first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing pay equity policy for our contracted @BCCIWomen cricketers. The match fee for both Men and Women Cricketers will be same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Cricket," Shah wrote on Twitter. 

The New Zealand Cricket Broad was the first to implement a pay equity policy for their women cricketers. In July this year, New Zealand Cricket announced that professional women's cricketers in the country will receive the same pay as their male counterparts. 

Let's take a look at how Indian women cricketers' new salaries compare to their counterparts in other parts of the world, including England, New Zealand, and Australia. 

Match fee & salary comparison

Cricket Australia also announced a pay rise for their female cricketers in October last year, taking the minimum retainer for the women players to $87,609 (Rs. 46,60,945) per year and a maximum retainer of Rs. 95 lakhs per year.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) gave its female cricketers a 40 percent increase in 2018 after they won the Cricket World Cup that year. The top female players in England were being paid as much as Rs. 47,64,198 a year as of 2018. But the women in England and Australia are still a long way from achieving equal pay.  

Image: Twitter/BCCIWomen