The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a significant announcement on Thursday, October 27. India’s women cricketers will be paid the same international match fee as their male counterparts, BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced on Thursday. As Indian cricket enters a “new era of gender equality in Indian cricket,” board secretary Jay Shah announced on his official Twitter account that women cricketers will now also be paid the same match fees as their male counterparts.
The announcement was made by BCCI Secretary just as the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side prepared for their coin toss in their Men’s T20 World Cup (T20 WC) match against the Netherlands at the SCG, Sydney.
This is BCCI’s “first step toward tackling discrimination”
He wrote, “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 the same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Indian Cricket.”
“Truly a red letter day for Women’s Cricket in India”
While Cricket Australia (CA) is also aiming to eliminate gender inequity, earlier this year New Zealand Cricket (NZC) reached an agreement with the country’s players’ association that allowed the women cricketers to earn the same as the men players.
Responding to the major development, Indian women’s team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur tweeted, “Truly a red letter day for Women’s Cricket in India with pay parity announced for women and men. Thank you @BCCI and @JayShah.”
Former India women team captain Mithali Raj also reacted on the same and called it a “historic” decision. “The pay equity policy along with the WIPL next year, we are ushering into a new era for women’s cricket in India,” Raj wrote on Twitter. (skillnet.net)
India’s senior women’s squad has recently been on a roll, taking home the Asia Cup in Bangladesh, finishing with a silver medal at the CWG 2022, and winning their first ODI series in England.
