ICC announces equal prize money for men's and women's cricket

In a big development, International Cricket Council (ICC) announced equal prize money for both men's and women's cricket for upcoming ICC events.

The decision was made during the three-day ICC Annual Conference held in Durban, South Africa, which ended on Thursday. This marks a significant milestone in ICC's endeavor to achieve their aim of prize money parity by 2030, surpassing the predetermined timeline for the same.

Teams will now receive equal prize money for finishing in similar positions at comparable events as well as the same amount for winning a match at those events.

Talking about the big moment, ICC Chairman Greg Barclay said, "This is a significant moment in the history of our sport, and I am delighted that men’s and women’s cricketers competing at ICC global events will now be rewarded equally."

“Cricket is genuinely a sport for all, and this decision from the ICC Board reinforces that and enables us to celebrate and value every single player’s contribution to the game equally," he added further.

The winners and runners-up at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 and 2023 received $1 million and $500,000, respectively, which was five times the amount offered in 2018.

The prize money for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022, too, rose to $3.5m from the $2m that was awarded for winning the 2017 edition in England.

This move will be the right step in the direction of pay parity, where the pay gap between men's and women's cricketers remains huge.