The International Cricket Council (ICC) made a groundbreaking announcement today, declaring equal prize money for both men’s and women’s teams participating in ICC events. This landmark decision was reached during the ICC Annual Conference held in Durban, South Africa, showcasing the ICC Board’s unwavering commitment to achieving prize money equality by 2030, well ahead of schedule. Under the new arrangement, teams will receive identical prize money for equivalent finishing positions and match victories at comparable events.

ICC Chair Greg Barclay expressed his delight, stating, “This is a momentous occasion in the history of our sport, as men’s and women’s cricketers competing at ICC global events will now be rewarded equally.” He further emphasized that since 2017, there has been a consistent increase in prize money for women’s events, with a clear focus on attaining parity. Going forward, winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, as well as T20 World Cups and U19 tournaments, will carry the same prize money as their respective men’s counterparts. This decision by the ICC Board underscores cricket as a sport that truly embraces inclusivity, celebrating and valuing the contributions of every player equally.

In addition to this groundbreaking announcement, the ICC Board has also approved the largest-ever investment in the sport, following the agreement on the distribution model for the next four years. This significant funding boost will be allocated to all ICC Members, ensuring enhanced financial support. Moreover, a strategic investment fund has been established to drive global growth initiatives in alignment with the ICC Global Growth Strategy.

ICC Chair Greg Barclay expressed his satisfaction, stating, “The success of our media rights and commercial program for the upcoming four-year cycle allows us to invest more money than ever before in our sport.” He further explained that each member will receive a base distribution, with additional revenue tied to their contributions to the global game, both on and off the field. This substantial investment represents an unprecedented opportunity for ICC Members to expedite growth, engage more players and fans, and foster competitiveness. The board’s commitment to establishing a strategic investment fund will further accelerate the realization of the ICC’s Global Growth Strategy.

The ICC Board also greenlit changes to the ICC Sanctioning Regulations, aimed at assisting all members in creating sustainable revenue streams and developing the game, while upholding the integrity of cricket and the welfare of its participants. Going forward, newly sanctioned events will be required to include a minimum of seven local or Associate Member players in each team’s playing XI, fostering the game’s development. Additionally, an organizing Member will be obligated to pay a solidarity fee to the Home Board of a player, acknowledging the Member’s role in nurturing and promoting the sport on a global scale.

Moreover, the Chief Executives’ Committee approved modifications to over-rate sanctions in Test cricket, ensuring a balance between maintaining over-rates and fair remuneration for players. Under the revised regulations, players will be fined 5% of their match fee for each over short, up to a maximum of 50%. However, if a team is bowled out before the new ball is due at 80 overs, no over-rate penalty will be applied, even if the over-rate is slow. This new threshold replaces the previous 60-over limit.

Sourav Ganguly, Chair of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, expressed his perspective on the matter, saying, “The ICC World Test Championship has injected renewed energy into Test cricket by providing compelling context. In the last edition, we witnessed only 12 draws out of 69 matches, and we aim to maintain this trend while offering fans the best value for their money and ensuring over-rates are upheld.” Ganguly further clarified that the Men’s Cricket Committee believed in retaining over-rate penalties in the form of World Test Championship points deductions but recommended reducing the risk of players losing their entire match fee. This adjustment strikes a balance between maintaining over-rates and encouraging players to participate in Test cricket.

It’s important to note that this amendment will be applied retrospectively, starting from the beginning of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.