New Zealand Cricket strikes pay equity deal so women and men earn same match fees

New Zealand’s women’s cricketers will be paid the same as their male counterparts after a “landmark agreement” was reached to close the gender pay gap across all formats and competitions.

From 1 August, the women’s national team and domestic women’s players will receive the same match fees as men as part of a five-year deal struck between New Zealand Cricket, the six major associations and the players’ union.

It is the first time the men’s and women’s professional environments have been combined in one agreement, with the new figures calculated from all NZC forecasted revenue over the course of the deal, a proportion of which – amounting to an expected $104m – is allocated to professional players.

Related: Women’s Test matches ‘not part of future landscape’, says ICC chief

It means the highest ranked White Ferns player can receive a maximum of $163,246 a year, up from $83,432, while the top-ranked women’s domestic players would be able to receive a maximum of $19,146 (up from $3,423).

While the men’s national team players will be paid the same match fees for T20I and ODI matches as the women, they are still likely to earn more, based on a higher number of matches played, formats contested and time spent training and playing.

That means top Black Caps players can earn up to $523,396, while high-ranking domestic men’s players would be in line to receive a maximum of $102,707.

But White Ferns captain Sophie Devine said the agreement was a game-changer for women’s cricket and would encourage others to take up the sport.

“It’s great for the international and domestic women players to be recognised in the same agreement, alongside the men,” Devine said. “It’s a massive step forward and will be a huge drawcard for young