CHENNAI: In a path-breaking decision, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) has decided to pay both contracted men and women international cricketers equal match fees. Indian cricket board secretary Jay Shah announced on Thursday that in pursuit of implementing pay equity policy, both male and female contracted cricketers would be paid Rs 15 lakh for a Test, Rs 6 lakh for an ODI and Rs 3 lakh for a T20I. “This is a landmark decision as we enter a new era in India cricket,” Shah said in a statement.
For Shantha Rangaswamy, who had been a pioneer in promoting women's cricket in India, first as a captain in 1976 and then as an administrator, this was like a parting gift as her term in the Apex Council ends. Her place will be taken by former skipper Shubangi Kulkarni. “It is revolutionary because India has taken this step ahead of England and Australia," Shantha, who was part of the Apex Council meeting on Thursday, told this daily. "It just shows that liberal-minded people are now at the helm in the BCCI. I am very proud.”
There are a few more areas which the BCCI can look into — the central contracts, domestic fee and, more importantly, the number of matches the women get to play in a season. They have played only two Test matches since December 2014 and will play only two more till 2025.
As of this day, the centrally contracted women cricketers are categorised as Grade A (Rs 50 lakh), Grade B (Rs 30 lakh) and Grade C (Rs 10 lakh). To put into context, a Grade C contracted male cricketer gets paid Rs 1 crore per season. In domestic cricket, a senior women cricketer's match fee per day was increased from Rs 12,500 to Rs 20,000 in September 2021. In comparison, a senior male cricketer's match fee starts at Rs 40,000 per day and goes up to Rs 60,000 depending on the number of matches they play.
"If you increase the match fee in domestic cricket, it will benefit a lot more people. And the minute the financial burden on the parents is not there, a lot more will be encouraged to take up the sport. I am sure, with this positive thinking, even that will happen sooner rather than later," said Shantha.
In the last two weeks, the BCCI have approved a five-team Women's IPL, and announced equal match fee for India internationals. From hereon, there is only one direction to go. And if the BCCI continues to keep up with their progressive decisions, as Shantha says, "good days are ahead" for women's cricket in India.