BCCI to offer equal pay to men & women cricketers

October 29, 2022

On October 27, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that it will provide equal pay for both men and women.

What was the recent decision of BCCI on equal pay?

The members of the 15^th BCCI apex council had recently passed a unanimous resolution to implement a new pay equity policy for its contracted women cricketers. This will ensure that the same pay is provided for both men and women cricketers.

How does this decision affect the players?

Under the new pay equity policy, women cricketers will receive the same match fee as men. They will receive Rs.15 lakh for test matches, Rs.6 lakhs for ODI matches and Rs.3 lakhs for T20I matches. Previously, women cricketers earned just Rs.4 lakh for test marches, Rs.1 lakh for T20s and ODIs. Apart from match-wise fees, women cricketers also receive payments under the retainership system. Each year, Grade A cricketers receive Rs 50 lakh, Grade B players receive Rs.30 lakh and Grade C receive Rs.10 lakh. Men cricketers, who play higher number of games, receive payments between Rs.7 crore and Rs. 1 crore per annum based on the grade starting from A Plus grade. The BCCI has not made changes to the retainment systems as of yet.

Which other countries are providing equal pay in sports?

In July 2022, New Zealand became the first country to bring pay parity for its cricketers. New Zealand Cricket – the governing body for the professional cricket in the country – and the players’ association inked a five-year deal. Under this deal, both international and domestic level women and male players will receive the same match fees across all formats and competition. There will also be equity in terms of travel, accommodation, training environment etc.

The US Soccer Associations for men and women have signed an agreement this year to provide equal pay. This move is significant since men receive higher pay than women because reasons like higher number of game played per season, more advertisement and corporate sponsorships based on their audience size etc.

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