Why equal match fee is only the first step in the right direction for BCCI

New Delhi

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Thursday that the women’s cricket team players will now receive the same match fees as their male counterparts. The pay parity has been a major point of contention around the world in the past few years, but BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that the match fees will be similar for both sides in all three formats of the game.

"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 same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Cricket."

Also read | BCCI to give equal match fees to women cricketers as male counterparts

"The @BCCIWomen cricketers will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts. Test (INR 15 lakhs), ODI (INR 6 lakhs), T20I (INR 3 lakhs). Pay equity was my commitment to our women cricketers and I thank the Apex Council for their support. Jai Hind," he wrote on Twitter.

The Indian women’s cricket team have enjoyed a rich vein of form in the recent past with multiple successes on the international stage. The side won the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 and followed it up with a historic ODI series win over England and a record Asia Cup triumph.

While the latest announcement was a huge initiative towards addressing the pay disparity between the players of the two teams, it is only the first step. When it comes to revenue sharing and central contracts, the gap remains massive – both in terms of money and exposure.

Every year, BCCI pays 26 per cent of its annual revenue to the players.

13 per cent of the revenue is given to men’s international team players, 10.3 per cent to domestic cricketers and just 2.7 per cent is earmarked for junior players and women cricketers.

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The same is applicable while talking about central contracts.

The men’s team cricketers are divided into four categories – Grade A+ (around $850,000), Grade B (around $607,000), Grade C (around $364,000) and Grade D (around $121,000).

In a stark contrast, the highest paid women cricketers get a yearly contract worth a bit more than $60,000. To put in simpler terms, one of the highest paid women cricketers in India right now – opener Smriti Mandhana – holds the same contract that Sachin Tendulkar would have had in 2004.

However, things have taken a turn lately. The first Women’s IPL is stated to take place next year and with the match fee disparity getting abolished, Indian cricket seems to be moving towards the right direction at this point.