The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced a major boost to women’s cricket, in a push towards gender parity in the sport. The Men’s and Women’s teams are all set to get the same amount of prize money for all events organised by the ICC. The decision was taken during the ICC Annual Conference in Durban, South Africa.
The International Cricket Council released a press statement announcing the decision. The teams will now receive equal money for finishing in similar positions at “comparable events”, i.e. The Men’s and Women’s T20 World Cups. They will also get the same amount for winning a match at those events. This will also be applicable to U19 World Cup for Men’s and Women’s.
“This is a significant moment in the history of our sport and I am delighted that men’s and women’s cricketers competing at ICC global events will now be rewarded equally,” chairman Greg Barclay said in the official statement.
ICC changes over-rate sanctions in Test cricket
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has also changed the over-rate sanctions in Test cricket. Players will be fined five per cent of their match fee as a fine for every over that falls short. The maximum penalty has been capped at 50 per cent. These will apply to the ongoing World Test Championship cycle as well.
No over-rate penalty will be imposed, if a team gets bowled out prior to reaching the 80-over mark and the new ball is not yet due, regardless of any potential delays. This amendment supersedes the existing threshold of 60 overs.
“The Men’s Cricket Committee felt strongly that over-rate penalties in the form of WTC points deductions should remain but recommended that players should not have 100% of their match fee at risk. We believe this provides a balance between maintaining over-rates and ensuring we are not deterring players from playing Test cricket,” said the Men’s Cricket Committee chief Sourav Ganguly.
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