In a landmark decision for Women’s cricket in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to introduce a massive pay hike for women’s domestic cricketers. With this increase, their pay in domestic cricket is now almost at par with their male counterparts.
At the moment, senior women’s players in the playing XI receive INR 20,000 per day, and reserves are paid INR 10,000 per day. In junior cricket, women players in the playing XI are paid INR 10,000 per day, and reserves are paid INR 5,000 per day.
Now, as per the revised structure, senior women’s cricketers will receive INR 50,000 per day in domestic one-day and multi-day games. This revised fee is applied to the members in the playing XI. For reserve players, INR 25,000 per day.
For T20 games, playing XI members will receive INR 25,00,0 and reserves will receive INR 12,500 per day.
The fee for junior cricket is also set to be revised. According to the revised pay, the junior playing XI members will receive INR 25,000 per day, and reserves will receive INR 12,500 per day. For T20 matches, the fee is revised to INR 12,500 per day for playing XI and INR 6,250 per day for reserves.
According to a BCCI note, “On an average, a senior woman cricketer receives around INR 2 lakh for a season if the team only plays the league stages of senior tournaments.”
Now, the income of women’s cricket in the domestic circuit from a season will rise substantially.
The BCCI Apex Council approved this decision to revise the pay structure of women cricketers in the domestic circuit.
They have also revised the pay structure of umpires as well. Here is what the Apex Council has suggested.
“In line with the Umpires Committee’s recommendations, it is proposed that all umpires officiating in league matches of domestic tournaments be paid a uniform fee of INR 40,000 per day, irrespective of their earlier grouping. For knockout matches, a higher fee of INR 50,000 – INR 60,000 per day is proposed, to be applied as per the tournament and match status, so as to recognise the heightened competitive and operational demands of these fixtures and to create a clear performance linked incentive for umpires appointed to such matches.”
It is further proposed that the revised fee structure is also extended to match referees as well.
“It is further proposed that the same revised fee structure be extended to the 79 match referees, such that match referees are also paid INR 40,000 per day for league matches and INR 50,000 – INR 60,000 per day for knockout matches, thereby ensuring consistency, equity and alignment across all on-field officials in domestic cricket.”
