Huge pay increase for women cricketers
CRICKET Australia offered to more than double elite women players’ pay and also promised an increase for men in a bid to end an impasse over money.
The body said the package meant women had the opportunity to pursue a fully professional career at both international and domestic levels, while men would continue to be among the country’s best paid sport stars.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the proposed five-year memorandum of understanding, put forward as negotiations continue before the current deal expires at the end of June, had gender equity at its heart.
But the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), the players union, said the offer needed closer scrutiny.
“We are pleased that the Australian Cricketers’ Association agrees with us that women, for the first time, should be part of the memorandum of understanding, and we have proposed a financial model that has gender equity at its heart,” Sutherland said.
“Under the proposal, women will receive an immediate average pay increase of more than 125%.”
This would see international women cricketers’ pay jump from A$79 000 (R768 606) to A$179 000 (R1.7-million) from July 1.
Potential remuneration for all players, including guaranteed and performance elements, would go up to A$419-million (R4-billion) over the next five-year period, an increase of 35%.
Men who represent Australia at international level would see their average yearly retainer rise to A$816 000 (R7.9-million) by 2021-22. With match fees and performance bonuses, the expected average income for these players -- including Big Bash League Twenty20 payments -- would soar 25% by 2021-2022, Sutherland said.
“We have placed the emphasis on increasing the guaranteed amount that the men will receive, rather than rely on any projected increase in revenue,” he said.
“This is a landmark agreement. We are now looking forward to sitting down with the ACA to work through the details.
“We are confident we will be able to announce a completed agreement before June 30.”
However, the ACA said there was a lack of detail in the proposals.
“The way in which these changes will be both funded and embedded require much closer scrutiny,” it said.
“There is a lot of fine print to examine and a lot more forecast information still needed by the players.”