The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared that men's and women's teams participating in global events will receive equal prize money.
The announcement was made during the ICC's annual conference held in Durban.
ICC Chairman Greg Barclay expressed delight over this milestone for the sport, stating, "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."
Barclay's official statement emphasized that since 2017, the prize money for women's events has increased annually with the explicit goal of achieving parity. Henceforth, winning the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, as well as the Twenty20 World Cups and Under-19s, will carry the same prize money as their male counterparts.
Both men's and women's teams to receive equal prize money for finishing in similar positions at ICC events and will be awarded the same amount for winning a match.
— ICC (@ICC) July 13, 2023
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In the women's T20 World Cup earlier this year, Australia claimed victory and received $1 million in prize money, while finalists South Africa received $500,000. Meanwhile, the England men's team secured $1.6 million for their triumph in the T20 World Cup in November 2022, with runners-up Pakistan receiving $800,000.
The ICC's decision received praise from various quarters, including BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, who tweeted, "Start of a new dawn. An era of equality and empowerment."
Late last year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that women's cricket team players would receive the same match fees as their male counterparts, furthering the cause of gender parity in the sport.