Cricket Australia set out decade-long plan for massive increase in women’s game

Cricket Australia are aiming for higher attendances and more female youth participation

Ian Ransom
Tuesday 30 April 2024 10:38 BST
Comments
A general view is seen during the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup Final match between India and Australia
A general view is seen during the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup Final match between India and Australia (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Cricket Australia (CA) are targeting a five-fold increase in average attendances at women’s matches and quadrupling participation rates among young girls as part of a 10-year plan for the women’s game.

The governing body will also launch a new domestic T20 competition while reducing the existing Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) to a 40-game season, which will bring it in line with the men’s BBL.

Australia has invested heavily in women’s cricket over the past decade, with the fruits seen in the nation’s dominance of global events.

However, women’s cricket generates just 5% of the sport’s total revenue in the country amid rising competition for global talent in T20 franchise leagues overseas.

CA’s “Women and Girls Action Plan” launched on Tuesday will seek to address those issues by boosting annual revenues to A$121 million ($79.39 million) by 2034, an increase of A$100 million on current levels.

CA are also seeking to boost annual average attendance for women’s cricket to 600,000 by 2034, up from about 120,000 last season.

The 10-year plan also calls for boosting participation among girls aged five to 12 to 100,000 from 25,000, investing A$500 million in infrastructure and achieving a target of 40% female representation in key positions in administration.

“There is so much more opportunity and work to be done to ensure big crowds in big stadiums more often, that our incredible role models are given the profile they deserve ... and ultimately that more women and girls are inspired to love and play cricket,” CA boss Nick Hockley said in a news release.

CA said it would launch a new state-based T20 competition to complement the WBBL without providing dates or details.

This will lift the average women’s domestic player salary to A$163,322 for 2024-25, up 8% on the previous season, the board said.

The WBBL, meanwhile, will be reduced in a bid to appeal to overseas players whose opportunities to play franchise T20 cricket have grown rapidly in recent years.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in