England Cricket Board to Introduce Gender Equal Salaries in 2025

From 2025, domestic cricket in England will enforce equal minimum starting salaries for men and women. This new measure, announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), ensures both 'rookies' and 'senior pros' earn the same amount: £20,000 for rookies and £28,000 for senior professionals, matching men’s pay tiers. This is prepared by SSP.

Women's domestic cricket is set to undergo a profound restructuring. Beginning next season, eight first-class counties, including Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey, and Warwickshire, will field Tier 1 teams. This number will expand as Yorkshire joins in 2026 and Glamorgan in 2027. The enhancement continues throughout a three-tiered county structure replacing the existing regional model. The shift not only aligns with the restructuring but aims to bolster investment in women’s cricket up to £19 million annually by 2027.

The finalized spend per county includes a minimum requirement: Tier 1 counties must have at least 15 contracted players with player salary investments ranging between £500,000 and £800,000 from 2025. Further aligning the men’s and women’s sides, women's teams will compete in the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup events starting next season.

ECB Director of Women’s Professional Game, Beth Barrett-Wild, emphasized this as a step forward in ensuring women's cricket in England and Wales remains viable and competitive. The focus remains on creating an appealing, sustainable structure and ensuring women cricketers see cricket as an attractive career, particularly underscored by these financial improvements.

The inaugural Women’s Finals for the T20 Blast will appear at The Oval on July 27, post revamped structures' induction. The first Women’s One Day Cup Final will follow at the Utilita Bowl on September 21.

The ECB’s Professional Game Committee, which includes representatives of the First-Class Counties (FCCs), the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA), and the ECB, approved these initiatives to further structure and sustain the women's game while connecting it more closely with men's cricket structure-wise and financially.

In essence, these changes mark a significant stride toward equity in cricket, promoting pay parity and professional investment in the women's domestic game, thus encouraging more women to view cricket as a sustainable and enticing career path.