In a significant move towards gender equality in cricket, the West Indies cricket board has pledged to achieve gender pay equity for its players. Following in the footsteps of other cricketing nations like New Zealand, India, Australia, South Africa, and England, the West Indies is committed to ensuring equal pay for male and female cricketers.
The commitment was formalized through the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Thursday, January 25, between Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA). The MOU outlines a plan to achieve parity in various aspects of player compensation, including international and regional match fees, international captain’s allowances, international team prize money, and regional individual prize money for all West Indies cricketers by October 1, 2027.
Dr. Kishore Shallow, President of CWI, expressed the board’s dedication to gender equality in cricket, stating, “This is a historic day for West Indies cricket. As we overhaul the compensation structures and align performance grading, we are taking a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and progressive cricket framework. This step reflects our unwavering commitment to gender equality and acknowledges the immense contributions of female players to West Indies cricket.”
He further emphasized the board’s recent efforts to improve the conditions for female cricketers, citing enhancements to the travel policy that mandate business class travel and single-room accommodations for the West Indies Senior Women’s team during international assignments, aligning them with the policies for the men’s team.
CWI CEO Johnny Grave echoed Dr. Shallow’s sentiments, highlighting the strategic importance of the move, “We are proud to embark on this journey towards gender pay equity. The significant increases for our female players demonstrate our dedication to rewarding excellence and promoting fairness in our cricketing community. The increases in prize money, greater rewards for our best-performing players, and higher match fees for players in the starting XIs are all strategic moves to place a greater emphasis on winning.”
The West Indies women’s cricket team has already achieved significant success on the field, winning the T20 World Cup in 2016. With this commitment to gender pay equity, the West Indies cricket board aims to create a more inclusive and equitable environment for all its players, regardless of gender.
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