Pakistan got their ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign up and running with a 31 run win against Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Thursday (3 October). After scoring 116 runs, helped largely by Fatima Sana's 30-run knock, Pakistan bowlers kept the islanders at bay with Sadia Iqbal (3/17) the chief difference-maker with the ball.
It came with the knowledge and fact that Pakistan women's cricket team have not been paid for four months now. As per Cricbuzz, the players, who are currently on a 23-month contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), starting 1 August, 2023, haven't been paid since June 2024.
The contracts, which are due to run until 30 June, 2025, were to be assessed at the end of the 12-month period. That is yet to take place and no changes have been announced.
"It is a work in progress," PCB told Cricbuzz. "As soon as the lists are finalised and approved, contracts will be offered with effect from 1 July 2024." A PCB official explained to Cricbuzz that the reason for the delay is that "there is too much going on and there is lack of time to address all matters".
According to PCB policy, players, both men and women, do not receive daily allowances if they are provided with accommodation and three meals as per the approved diet during training camps. Consequently, the women's team did not receive allowances for the training camp in Multan, which commenced on 1 September ahead of the home series against South Africa. However, the report says the support staff at the camp were granted allowances.
Additionally, the salaries for the Pakistan men's team have also been delayed for the past four months. But there is a difference in reasoning for the delays.
Pakistan women's team the lowest paid
Currently, Pakistan's women cricketers rank among the lowest-paid athletes in all Full Member Nations, despite the PCB being the fourth-richest cricket board globally. In contrast, players from India, England, and New Zealand enjoy equal pay in match fees for both men's and women's teams, while South Africa and the West Indies have committed to achieving pay parity soon through a Memorandum of Understanding.
Unlike the West Indies and South Africa, however, Pakistan lack a players' association to advocate for their rights.
Even in teams without pay parity or those planning to implement it soon, Sri Lankan players earn $750 per match, plus an additional $250 bonus for victories. In Bangladesh, match fees are approximately $427 for T20Is and $854 for ODIs, both of which exceed the earnings of Pakistani players.
The PCB is expected to increase its investment in women's cricket by $600,000 this season, though details of these new investments have yet to be disclosed.
Nevertheless, this amount remains significantly lower than the funding allocated for men's cricket. Among Full Member Nations, PCB exhibits one of the largest disparities in match fees between male and female cricketers.
