In what is clearly a historic event, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has announced that it will now introduce an equal pay scale for domestic men and women players. The NZC has signed a five-year-long agreement with six Major Associations and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA), which states that women and men cricketers will receive the same pay for the same work on the same day. This means, all domestic men and women players will receive the same match fees, across all formats and competitions.
Apart from making the remunerations at par, the new agreement is also pushing a bigger funding for the NZCPA’s support services. The Personal Development Programme will receive increased investment, and will work towards ensuring women domestic players receive the same support as domestic men players. The agreement, which will be brought into effect from August 1, 2022, will also ensure that women players receive equity in travel, accommodation, playing opportunities and training environment. All pregnancy and childcare provisions from the existing agreements will also be adhered to.
Sophie Devine, the captain of the White Ferns, remarked in an interview that this benchmark decision is set to be a game-changer for women’s cricket. “It’s great for the international and domestic women players to be recognised in the same agreement, alongside the men. It’s a massive step forward and will be a huge drawcard for young women and girls,” she said.
Reports suggest that men players have also come out in support of this agreement. “It’s really important for the current players to build on the legacy of those who have gone before us, and to support tomorrow’s players, both men and women, at all levels,” New Zealand skipper, Kane Williamson, said in an interview. “This agreement goes a long way towards achieving that.”
Image courtesy: Twitter/WHITE_FERNS