Sourav Ganguly Reacts to the BCCI’s Decision to Charge Equal Match Fees for Men and Women
The decision comes just days after the BCCI AGM determined that the maiden season of the women’s IPL will take place in 2023.
A day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India made the historic decision to pay contracted women cricketers the same match fee as their male counterparts, former board president Sourav Ganguly took to Twitter to congratulate the current board members, which included his former colleague Jay Shah. Mr Shah, the board secretary, disclosed the decision on Twitter before the BCCI sent an official email.
Just saw it in the press this morning… congratulations to Jay, Roger, Rajivbhai, Ashishji, Debojit, and all the apex council members on this wonderful gesture.
Women’s cricket has seen a lot of effort, and it shows in their performance Ganguly wrote.
The decision comes just days after the BCCI AGM voted to hold the maiden season of the women’s IPL in 2023.
I’m delighted to announce BCCI’s first action in combating discrimination. We are implementing a pay equity policy for the BCCIWomen cricketers we have contracts with. The match price for both men and women cricketers will be the same as we approach a new age of gender equality in cricket. Women’s cricketers in the BCCI will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts. My pledge to our female cricketers was pay equity, and I appreciate the Apex Council’s support. Thank you Jai Shah announced the decision in a tweet.
There has been a boom in interest in Indian women’s cricket since the team finished runners-up in the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup. Since then, the squad has advanced to the final of the T20 World Cup in 2020 and won silver in the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
The New Zealand Cricket Board made a similar move earlier this year, declaring that the women’s national team and domestic women’s players will be paid the same match fees as males.