Equal Prize Money Announced for Men’s and Women’s Teams at ICC Matches

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that men's and women's teams will receive equal prize money at ICC events. Thursday's ICC Annual Conference in Durban resulted in the decision to attain prize money parity by 2030. Men's and women's teams will now receive the same quantity of prize money for finishing in comparable positions at comparable competitions and for winning a match.

"This is a momentous occasion in the history of our sport, and I am thrilled that men's and women's cricketers competing in ICC global events will now be compensated equally," said ICC Chairman Greg Barclay.

"Since 2017, we have increased prize money at women's events each year with a clear focus on achieving equal prize money. Going forward, winning the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup will carry the same prize money as winning the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, and the same will be true for T20 World Cups and U19s.

"Cricket is truly a sport for all, and this decision from the ICC Board reaffirms that and allows us to celebrate and value equally the contributions of every single player," he added.

According to a press release from the ICC, the winners and runners-up of the Women's T20 World Cup in 2020 and 2023 will receive $1 million and $500,000, respectively, five times the sum awarded in 2018. The prize money for the Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 increased to $3.5 million from $2 million for the 2017 tournament in England.

Jay Shah, secretary of the BCCI and chairman of the ICC's Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee, declared on Twitter that a new era of equality and empowerment had begun.

"I am delighted to announce that a significant step has been taken toward gender equality and inclusivity. Men and women will receive equal prize money at all @ICC competitions. Together, we expand.

"I appreciate the support of my fellow Board members in achieving this vital goal. Let's strive toward a future in which cricket continues to flourish around the world, tweeted Shah.

Modifications to Tests' over-rate sanctions

The Chief Executives' Committee has approved modifications to the over-rate sanctions in Test cricket in order to establish a balance between the need to maintain over-rates and the need to compensate players fairly.

In accordance with the revised regulations, participants will be fined 5% of their match fee for every over that falls short, with a maximum penalty of 50%. Notably, if a team is bowled out before reaching 80 overs and the new ball is not yet due, there will be no over-rate penalty regardless of any prospective delays. This amendment replaces the extant 60-over threshold.

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Sourav Ganguly, a member of the ICC Men's Cricket Committee, stated, "The ICC World Test Championship has invigorated Test cricket and given it a compelling context.""In the previous edition, there were only 12 draws out of 69 games, and we want to continue that trend while giving fans the greatest value for their money and maintaining high over-rates.

"The Men's Cricket Committee was adamant that over-rate penalties in the form of WTC point deductions should remain, but recommended that players' match fees should not be at risk for the full amount. This, we believe, strikes a balance between maintaining over-rates and ensuring that Test cricket players are not dissuaded from participating.