The England Cricket Board has taken another big step towards gender equality. From 2025, men’s and women’s domestic cricketers will be paid the same minimum starting salary. The board’s move coincides with the inaugural edition of the Women’s County Championship.

This will be applicable at the ‘Rookie’ level, which is being introduced for the first time in the women’s game, as well as the ‘Senior Pro’ level for cricketers who have already made themselves an integral part of the teams.

This is another positive step for women’s cricket – Director of Women’s Professional Game Barrett-Wild

Director of Women’s Professional Game Barrett-Wild said that it is important to make cricket as attractive for young girls as it is for boys and the decision taken by the board is an important step in this direction. Along with this, PCA Director of Players Rights and Women’s Cricket Emma Reed has also praised this step of the board.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Barrett-Wild said,

Equalising starting salaries across our men’s and women’s professional domestic game is another positive step forward for women’s cricket in England and Wales. The changes we have made to the structure of women’s domestic cricket over the last nine months are about creating a sustainable and viable product that is attractive off the field as well as quality on it. As part of this, it is vital that our players are paid the right wages, and that cricket is seen not only as a viable career option for women, but as an attractive option. Every decision we are making is about making cricket as attractive a sport for young girls as it is for boys. We know we still have work to do in this area but we are moving fast.

England Cricket Board has taken this decision due to this report

This decision by the England Cricket Board has been taken in view of the report of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) in June 2023, which calls for fundamental changes in the salary structure of England’s women’s cricket (fundamental overhaul) It has been said about.

According to the report, the average salary of England’s women cricketers was just 20.6 percent of that of the men. However, the board estimated that figure to be around 30 percent and set a target of equalizing salaries at the domestic level by 2029 and at the international level by 2030. Let us tell you, when the report came out, the minimum salary of men’s first-class county players was around £27,500.