Female Australian cricketers are set for a huge cash-out with recent agreements to increase their wages. Many female Australian cricket players will break the $100k wage barrier if these discussions bear fruit.
Cricket Australia, the country’s governing cricket body, aims to review the wage structure of female cricketers with other stakeholders. They have already entered discussions with the players’ unions to deliberate on a better payment structure for female players. The new structure is, according to several reports, poised to shatter the $100k wage barrier.
Such a pay hike will bring a massive boost to female cricket in Australia and boost the appeal of women’s sports in general. Many other cricket bodies and sports organizations are expected to follow suit after such a landmark agreement.
Is Cricket Australia the First to Over $100k Wage Structure to Female Players?
Cricket Australia (CA) looks set to becoming the first cricket governing body to boost the wage structure of female cricketers. Female cricketers will earn in six figures under the new wage structure. Domestic players will earn a mean sum of AUD$151,000 from the new season, making these ladies one of the highest paid sportswomen.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will form the bedrock of this agreement between CA and the players’ unions, giving female cricketers more money for their on-field efforts.
How are the Negotiations Progressing between CA and Players’ Unions?
Negotiations between CA and players’ unions have been cordial in recent times after a protracted disagreement over wage structures for more than six years. Both bodies seem to have their act together this time towards making female Australian cricketers rank high among top earners in world sport.
What Does the $100K Wage Structure Entail for Female Cricketers?
Domestic cricketers will be among the biggest winners when this new wage structure takes effect. Credible reports confirm that the lowest paid players with state contracts will earn about AUD$80,000. Cricketers with Women’s Big Bash Leagues will get no less than AUD$82,000.
State squad sizes are also on schedule to increase from the current fourteen to sixteen players. The new development means more female cricketers will get their hands on this new payment structure from next season. All seven (7) teams in the WNCL will make this adjustment, giving at least fourteen players a chance to earn big.
Players will earn match fees from WNCL games and the minimum for multi-contract cricketers could reach AUD$151,000 or more in the new season. WBBL and WNCL players earned around AUD$70,000 in 2022-23 for full match payments.
What Does the Wage Structure Look Like for Women in Other Sports?
Cricket will be well ahead of other Australian sports when it comes to women’s pay in the coming months. Women in active cricket will earn over 50% more than the highest-paid, female Super Netball players.
Super Netball players earn around AUD$43,000 and they don’t get match payments of any kind. This puts the majority of Super Netball stars way below the pay-grade of female Aussie cricketers, if the deal pulls through that is.
The AFLW also pays a minimum wage of around AUD$40,000 with no significant pay differences among many players. AFLW players will earn at least 60% less than female cricketers if the new over $100k wage bill gets approval.
NRLW players also get their average pay around AUD$30,000, one of the lowest among popular women’s sports in Australia. These players will earn up to 70% less than average female Australian cricketers will after the signing of this deal.
Australia’s female football league (A-League Women) currently offers around AUD$25,000 to its female players.
What all these figures show is that sportswomen outside the Women Big Bash League (WBBL) will earn between 50% and 75% less if their sports bodies fail to effect upward wage reviews.
Wages in the WBBL will likely get a huge bump soon, as more franchises aim to attract top talent from other local clubs or foreign teams. Some WBBL central contract players could also earn between AUD$600,000 and AUD$1,000,000 per season if other deals are factored in to their massive pay.
What are the Likely Benefits of Such a Huge Pay Boost for Female Aussie Cricketers?
CA and other cricket bodies bank on the massive pay structure to attract global talent and the best Australian players to top franchises. Women’s cricket in Australia could become one of the most-viewed events in the coming years based on the massive investment and publicity ahead of next season.
