India's ODI opener Shikhar Dhawan has praised Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for announcing equal match fees for male and female cricketers who are centrally contracted. Dhawan feels that female cricketers deserve to get paid equal to their male counterparts as they work hard and perform for the nation with same amount of passion as men.
"I am glad that everyone is appreciating towards that thing. I feel that Jay Bhai and the BCCI have taken a massive step that women cricketers will get the same match fees. I feel very happy because they also work equally hard and play for the country with the same passion. It's a very good initiative," Dhawan said in the India Today Conclave in Mumbai.
After the announcement, Indian women cricketers' match fees will Rs 15 lakh, Rs 6 lakh and Rs 3 lakh for Tests, ODIs and T20Is respectively. It is a huge boost for women's cricket as they used to get paid Rs 1 lakh for limited-overs encounters and Rs 4 lakh for Test matches. Also, the women cricketers hardly donned the whites.
"It was my commitment to our women cricketers and pay equity is an important step towards tackling discrimination. The female cricketers will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts. Test (INR 15 lakhs), ODI (INR 6 lakhs), T20I (INR 3 lakhs). This is a landmark decision as we enter a new era in Indian Cricket. I would like to thank my colleagues in the BCCI Apex Council," BCCI secretary Jay Shah tweeted after the decision was taken at BCCI Apex Council emergent meeting.
On the other hand, no changes have been made to the central contracts of women cricketers. There is still no A+ category in women’s cricket.
During the event, Dhawan also backed the Rohit Sharma-led side to win the T20 World Cup after a long gap of 15 years. The left-handed batter feels that at this stage of the tournament Indian players need to make fewer mistakes and control the nerves.
