In a landmark decision, New Zealand Cricket announced that the Men’s and Women’s Cricket teams will be equally paid in the newly signed 5-Year Contract. The deal will be in activation from August 1 onwards.
"This is the most important agreement in our sport, as it binds NZC, the major associations, and our players at the hip, and sets the foundation to fund, grow and develop cricket," said NZC Chief Executive David White.
"It's been a collaborative yet very robust negotiation. Importantly, it represents a significant step forward as we continue to grow our investment in women's cricket," David White further added.
Following are the major changes that will be in effect once the agreement runs down:
- The agreement sees an increase in the number of women's domestic contracts. Earlier it was 54, but now it will be 72.
- The agreement will see the men earn higher retainers as they play a greater number of matches annually and it also considers the formats contested and consistency and efforts of players, which will be dependent upon time spent in training and playing.
- The agreement sees an introduction of the annual Women's North v South series for emerging and breakthrough international players, also complementing the existing development programmes.
"It's great for the international and domestic women players to be recognised in the same agreement, alongside the men," said White Ferns captain Sophie Devine.
"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. This agreement goes a long way towards achieving that,” said Black Caps captain Kane Williamson.