In a groundbreaking move, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that men’s and women’s teams will receive equal prize money at ICC events. The decision was made during the ICC Annual Conference in Durban, South Africa, and demonstrates the ICC Board’s commitment to achieving prize money parity by 2030 ahead of schedule. The new policy ensures that teams will be awarded the same prize money for comparable finishing positions and match victories at these events. ICC Chair Greg Barclay expressed his satisfaction with this significant moment, stating that men’s and women’s cricketers competing in ICC global events will now be equally rewarded. He emphasized the ICC’s continuous efforts since 2017 to increase prize money at women’s events, culminating in this achievement. As a result, winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, T20 World Cups, and U19s will carry the same prize money as their male counterparts. Additionally, the ICC Board approved the largest-ever investment in cricket, agreeing on a distribution model for the next four years. Every ICC Member will receive significantly enhanced funding, with a strategic investment fund dedicated to driving global growth initiatives aligned with the ICC Global Growth Strategy. The changes also include amendments to ICC Sanctioning Regulations to support Members in developing sustainable revenue streams and nurturing the game’s integrity and welfare. Going forward, new events requiring a sanction will be required to include a minimum of seven local or Associate Member players in each team’s playing XI to promote the game’s development. Furthermore, a solidarity fee will be paid from the organizing Member to the Home Board of a player, recognizing their role in global sport development. The Chief Executives’ Committee endorsed alterations to over-rate sanctions in Test cricket to strike a balance between maintaining over-rates and ensuring fair remuneration for players. Players will now be fined 5% of their match fee for each over short, up to a maximum of 50%, with no over-rate penalty applied if a team is bowled out before the new ball is due at 80 overs. Sourav Ganguly, Chair of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, highlighted the success of the ICC World Test Championship in injecting renewed energy into Test cricket and the importance of maintaining over-rates while providing value for fans. The committee recommended retaining over-rate penalties but suggested reducing the risk to players’ match fees. This adjustment will be applied retrospectively from the start of the current World Test Championship cycle.
