Sri Lanka Cricket has tripled the match fee it pays to women’s international cricketers, and has also introduced a “winning bonus”.
Where players had been paid $250 per white-ball game, they will now receive $750. If they win, they will also get a further $250. Squad members who did not play the match, meanwhile, will get 25% of the match fee.
“The move is part of Sri Lanka Cricket’s efforts towards further enhancing women’s cricket in the country and empowering female cricketers,” a board release said.
SLC has at times been accused of failing to prioritise women’s cricket, particularly during the pandemic, with Sri Lanka not playing a match between March 2020 and January 2022. The increased match fee is also only a fraction of what the men’s national side gets paid. They received $3000 per T20I and $4000 per ODI as per their most-recent contracts.
But the hike in match fees is substantial nevertheless, particularly in the light of Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic crisis.