The Indian women’s cricket team, already on a high following their Asia Cup win, received another boost on Thursday when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that their pay would brought up on a par with the men’s team.
My Kolkata spoke to some present and former women cricketers on the landmark decision.
Richa Ghosh, National team batter and wicketkeeper
More than thinking about money, we constantly try to improve our game and, in that endeavour, we tend to overlook the cost, which is often borne by our parents. At some point, money does play an important role and the BCCI’s decision will change many lives.
Lopamudra Banerjee, Former Indian cricketer and national selector
Money plays a crucial role and, following this decision, several young women will try hard to get into professional cricket. This will enrich the talent pool and boost the bench strength.
Batter from Punjab said on condition of anonymity
With this, the fees for promotional activities and advertisements would also go up. Many players would now be able to support their families. We are also looking forward to the upcoming IPL in women’s cricket. Once IPL starts, the match fees for domestic matches will also increase. This is a very interesting time for Indian women’s cricket.
Riya Chowdhury, State-level cricketer playing for Mumbai
This proves that the women's cricket team is really doing well. I thank the BCCI for this historic decision and for treating us equally.
State-level player on condition of anonymity
This pay revision is for international matches. In domestic cricket, we are still far behind (the men) in terms of remuneration.
