Million dollar pay packages for women after new Australia deal

Sydney: Top Australian women cricketers could earn more than A$1 million ($666,600) a year with increases from a new pay deal topped up by cash earned in India's Women's Premier League and The Hundred in England, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Monday. The five-year deal includes a headline funding increase of 66% for the women with a player who holds a top tier contract and also plays in the Women's Big Bash League now able to earn A$800,000 a year.

"Iam particularly pleased this (deal) represents another major step forward in the rise of women's cricket," CA chief executive Nick Hockley said. "Cricket now clearly offers the best earning opportunities of any team sport for elite female sportspeople."

The Memorandum of Understanding, agreed between CA and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA), also included an increase of 25% in the minimum and average CA contracts for women. The contracts and retainers will be guaranteed while players are on parental leave and further payments will be offered to help make up for lost match fees.

For the men, the number of central contracts has increased from up to 20 to up to 24 every year to take into account the number of players required for international matches across the three formats. The proliferation of lucrative Twenty20 tournaments around the world was acknowledged in an increase from A$2m to A$3m in the payment pool for the Big Bash League.

Hockley also mentioned the "constructive spirit of partnership" under which talks were conducted with the ACA, a stark contrast with acrimonious negotiations for the last deal in 2017.