In one of the historic decisions, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that all men's and women's cricket teams competing in ICC events will receive equal prize money for their tournaments.
Cricket is a sport for all, and this decision from the ICC Board is set to reinforce that, enabling everyone to celebrate and value every player's contribution to the game. The International Cricket Council (ICC) further stated that this is a significant moment in the history of the sport as men's and women's cricketers competing at ICC global events will be rewarded equally. Since 2017, ICC has been increasing the prize money at women's events every year with a focus on reaching equal prize money.
The announcement finally bears fruit to the years of struggle for women in sports to be treated equally to men. The BCCI council further declared that the country's centrally contracted female cricketers will also receive the exact match fee as the Indian male cricketers for their appearances in international matches under the new pay equity policy.
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Equal Pay for Women Cricketers
Men's and women's cricket teams competing in the International Cricket Council (ICC) events are now set to receive equal prize money. This is deemed a significant moment in the history of the sport. And the equal pay decision is set to compel the game into a new era, thus fostering a sense of equality in sports. The prize money for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 rose to $3.5m from $2m.
Women athletes across the globe have battled, waited, and hoped for a movement like this to finally arrive at a conclusion. The insurmountable struggle of women athletes to be at par with their male counterparts and to be treated with equal respect while receiving identical opportunities just like men has shown efforts. The women's cricket team has not only garnered the attention of massive crowds and generated ticket sales but has also displayed their mettle through solid performances.
The decision was announced during the ICC Annual Conference held in Durban, South Africa, making it a significant milestone in ICC's endeavor to introduce as well as achieve prize money parity by the year 2030. This decision is set to surpass the predetermined timeline for the same. Cricket teams will now receive equal prize money for finishing in similar positions at events. They will also receive the same amount for winning a match at those events.
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The ICC board also approved the changes to sanctioning regulations that are further designed to support all the members in establishing sustainable revenue streams while developing their game and preserving and protecting the integrity of the sport. It will also help safeguard the welfare of those participating.
Moving forwards, all new events and tournaments requiring sanction will ensure that the players of each team will include a minimum of seven local or associate member players. This will assist in supporting the development of the game.
Large Investment for Member Nations
Every member of the ICC will now receive a substantial increase in funding due to the introduction and implementation of this new strategic investment fund dedicated to promoting global growth initiatives. These initiatives have been introduced with the aim of aligning with the ICC Global Growth Strategy.
Men's and women's cricket teams will receive equal prize money at ICC tournaments - All the members will receive a base distribution along with additional revenue that will be in relation to their contribution to the global game. This is considered the largest level of investment ever made in the cricket world. This will further help in generating opportunities for our members to accelerate their growth while engaging with more players and fans, thereby driving competitiveness.
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Key Highlights
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The announcement of equal prize money for cricketers by ICC is being deemed a significant moment.
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The governing body will hand out male and female cricketers equal pots.
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The equal prize split will be included in the World Cups and World T20s.
Final Thought
The numbers in the last few years have highlighted the rapid growth of women's cricket in India as well as across the globe. But there is still no comparison when one looks at the central contracts of men and women. While the introduction of the new rule is a positive step, we are still far from reaching gender parity.
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The CEC or the Chief Executives' Committee approved changes to these over-rate sanctions in Test cricket in order to balance the need for over-rates to be maintained while ensuring that the players are appropriately remunerated. A solidarity fee will also be payable from the organizing member to the home board of a player. This will help in reflecting on the role the members played in developing and promoting the sport across the globe.
Today the priority is to establish and get the structures in place that will further help in offering equal opportunity. This new decision will definitely revolutionize women's cricket across countries, giving any young girl exactly the same opportunities to be a professional cricketer as a young boy.
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