NZ men and women cricketers to receive same pay: Collaborative yet very robust negotiation, says NZC chief

New Zealand men and women cricketers will receive the same pay for the same work as New Zealand Cricket (NZC), 6 Major Associations and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association struck a landmark agreement.

For the first time in a five-year deal, women's players, including domestic cricketers, will receive the same match fees as their male counterparts across all formats and competitions.

"The improved pay and conditions are part of an agreement calculated on the country's men's and women's professional players receiving 29.75 percent of all NZC forecast revenue over five years (USD 349 m), expected to amount to USD 104m," NZC said in a statement.

NZC chief David White said: "This is the most important agreement in our sport, as it binds NZC, the Major Associations, and our players at the hip, and sets the foundation to fund, grow and develop cricket. It's been a collaborative yet very robust negotiation."

This means the highest-ranked New Zealand women's player would be able to receive a maximum of USD 163,246 a year (up from USD 83,432), the ninth-ranked, USD 148,946 (USD 66,266), and the 17th-ranked USD 142,346 (USD 62,833).

The top-ranked women's domestic players in each Major Association would be able to receive a maximum of USD 19,146 (up from USD 3,423), the sixth-ranked USD 18,646 (USD 3,423), and the 12th-ranked USD 18,146 (USD 3,423). The agreement also sees the total number of women's domestic contracts increase from 54 to 72.

New Zealand men's players, whose match fees will be the same as the women, will earn higher retainers, based on the increased number of matches played, formats contested, and time spent training and playing.

They have also received increases at current levels, the top-ranked male player will be able to receive a maximum of USD 523,396 (up from USD 459,574), the tenth-ranked USD 444,196 (USD 377,981), and the 20th-ranked USD 367,196 (USD 305,453).

Additionally, the highest-ranked domestic men's player in each Major Association would be in line to receive a maximum of USD 102,707 (up from USD 94,437), the eighth-ranked USD 87,307 (USD 77,357), and the 16th-ranked USD 75,207 (USD 64,406).