NZ Cricket to address women’s pay gap

New Zealand Cricket promises to assess the pay gap between women’s domestic cricket and the men’s game at the end of this season.

In the wake of Sunday’s women’s Super Smash final, former Black Cap and now radio commentator, Peter McGlashan took a hit at NZ Cricket on the pay inequality in the domestic game.

NZC head of professional cricket and integrity Andrew Rogers said the comments are valid and promised there would be a review by the middle of the year.

‘‘We know it’s an issue and we are working on it.’’

On Sunday, Wellington Blaze grabbed back-to-back Twenty20 titles with a dramatic four-wicket win over the Canterbury Magicians.

Afterwards McGlashan, who commentated on the game at Eden Park Outer Oval, took to social media about the drastic pay gap.

He pointed out the winners of the women’s competition received no prizemoney, but the men’s winners next month receive $80,000. Women’s players receive just $55 on away games for meals.

Rogers said although the competitions are played as doubleheaders, it is difficult to compare the men’s professional game with what is still an amateur game for the women.

‘‘Women’s domestic cricket has historically been an amateur competition and it continues to be so.’’

Women’s crowd numbers and interest has accelerated faster than NZC expected and it was delighted, but now it has to play catchup in assessing professional contracts for the women.

There are 15 women on professional contracts with NZC; all who have represented the national side.

The White Ferns Memorandum of Understanding expires on July 31 and pay will be high on the agenda, said Rogers.

‘‘We could have waited another 12 months to launch the women’s Super Smash and it would have aligned with our pay discussion.

‘‘We could have made a decision to invest . . . but in the end we said ‘hang on, we’ve got to do this in a staged process. We’ve got to do this in a methodical and thought-through process’.

‘‘It’s not just about paying people – it’s about making sure they are playing in a first class environment.’’

Rogers could not pinpoint exact figures around a salary or even how many players would be paid, but said it would happen. There had been no noted complaints from female players to NZC directly.

‘‘I’ve never had anyone come to me directly and say ‘why aren’t we being paid?’.’’

Up until this season, the women’s game was run over a series of weekends and was demanding on the amateur players.

NZC launched the women’s Super Smash in order to raise the profile of women’s domestic cricket, which Rogers believes has worked.