Male and female cricketers representing India will now earn the same amount as match fees, as confirmed by the BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Twitter. While this doesn’t entirely root out the pay disparity prevalent in Indian cricket, it is a welcome step from the BCCI, and hopefully a start of something beautiful for the women’s cricketers.

“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,” wrote Shah.

Earlier this year, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) also signed a five-year contract with the players association, as per which the match fees of female cricketers were increased to end the disparity.

The BCCI is also planning to introduce the Women’s IPL next year, soon after the completion of the Women’s T20 World Cup. As per reports, the tournament will consist of five teams and 22 matches.

How Much Indian Women Cricketers Will Earn Now?

As per the new rule, the women cricketers will take home Rs 15 lakh for every Test they play, Rs 6 lakh for ODI appearances, and Rs 3 lakh for the T20I game.

“The @BCCIWomen cricketers will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts. Test (INR 15 lakhs), ODI (INR 6 lakhs), T20I (INR 3 lakhs). Pay equity was my commitment to our women cricketers and I thank the Apex Council for their support. Jai Hind,” added Shah.

The male cricketers in India still enjoy greater benefits and their annual contract retainers amount is way more than the women’s cricketers. The central contracts contribute to a major chunk of revenue for the cricketers. Male cricketers pooled in the elite category take home Rs 7 crore per annum, while their female counterparts earn only Rs 50 lakh.

Moreover, even though the match fees are now equal, the women’s team will play fewer matches than the male team, thus affecting their net income.

Lead Image: Jay Shah/Twitter