Channel Nine criticised for putting women's ICC World Cup behind paywall while men's will be shown for free

Channel Nine are being criticised by cricket fans and players alike after announcing their broadcast arrangements for the upcoming ICC World Cups.

Australia's defence of the men's Twenty20 World Cup will be broadcast on the Nine Network but the women's ODI World Cup is set to be without a free-to-air broadcaster and will, instead, be shown entirely behind a Foxtel paywall.

Nine has confirmed it will screen every game involving Aaron Finch's side at this year's men's T20 World Cup, which is being staged in Australia from October 16 to November 13.

The network has flagged it will broadcast «other big match-ups», likely to include a blockbuster between India and Pakistan at the MCG on October 23.

Nine will also show the 2023 men's one-day World Cup as part of its broadcast deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) that covers major tournaments.

Every match at the two World Cups will be screened on Foxtel and Kayo.

But it appears the women's ODI World Cup, which begins in March and is being hosted by New Zealand, will only be available to Australian fans via Foxtel and its streaming service.

Star wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy was quick to respond to the news on Twitter.

Nine had local broadcast rights for the 2020 women's T20 World Cup in Australia, which culminated in the hosts defeating India in front of a crowd of 86,174 at the MCG on International Women's Day.

That T20 World Cup final was relegated to 9Gem, while Married At First Sight was screened on Nine's main channel.

The match attracted a national TV audience of 825,000 on 9Gem, while 406,000 tuned in via Foxtel.

Sarah Styles, the director of Victoria's Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, also took to Twitter to express her frustration.

«Absolutely and utterly the