For Pakistan, cricket is a love that binds the country rather than just a game. Though women’s cricket suffers in the shadows, the men’s game attracts a lot of interest and investment, with platforms like the Bpexch App further fueling fans’ engagement and enthusiasm.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has worked to increase the talent pool lately, but structural and financial support for women players is still shockingly poor. This paper explores the difficulties experienced by Pakistani women cricket players, stressing the obvious differences and the pressing necessity of reform.
Home Contracts: a hollow gesture or a step forward?
The PCB has made public a roster of ninety female cricket players who will be granted domestic contracts for the seasons 2024–25. This represents a rise from the 79 players hired following last season, indicating an effort to widen the pool of potential.
The list comprises ten capped players, sixty-two rising stars, and eighteen Under-19 players. Although the contract increase is a good sign, the financial terms linked with them reveal another side.
Players are being paid monthly retainers of PKR 35,000 (about USD 125), less than the required minimum pay for unskilled workers in Pakistan. Besides, the PKR 20,000 (about USD 71) match price is scarcely enough to support a professional athlete. To exacerbate the situation, local players have complained they have not gotten any daily allowances this season.
The PCB said these agreements seek to “expand the talent pool in women’s cricket at the grassroots level and inspire young players to take up the sport as professionals.” However, the minimal financial incentives imply that the board’s dedication to women’s cricket is more symbolic than pragmatic.
Restricted Opportunity for Playing and Income
Lack of playing chances is one of the most important obstacles facing Pakistani women cricket players. The PCB arranges three domestic competitions for senior women, giving players who participate in every match and reach the finals of all events a maximum of 31 days of cricket each season. Including retainers and match costs, a player may make a maximum of PKR 1,040,000 (about USD 3,700) even under these ideal circumstances.
Revenues suffer greatly for players who miss playing XI; match costs are dropped to PKR 10,000 (around USD 35). When you take into account the expenses of keeping up a professional athlete’s lifestyle—personal trainers, controlled diets, cricket equipment—these incomes pale in comparison. Financial restrictions cause most players to compromise on their training and growth, which affects their performance and degree of fitness.
The Stark Difference from World Standards
Pakistan stands apart from other countries that play cricket. For example, Cricket Australia aggressively invests in women’s cricket and pays domestic players an average annual salary of around USD 96,000. This number is over 25 times more than what a domestic Pakistani player can make. Likewise, in India, participants in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) pay a minimum of INR 10 lakh (about USD 11,500) for a three-week competition; elite players pay up to INR 2 crore (about USD 230,500).
Even New Zealand Cricket, which gets USD 6 million less than the PCB from the ICC’s revenue share, gives stronger financial support to its women cricketers. Three times more than the highest-earning Pakistani counterpart, the lowest-earning domestic player in New Zealand gets around USD 11,000 yearly.
Pakistan Cricket’s Gender Pay Difference
Another obvious problem in Pakistani cricket is the gender wage difference. The financial information for women’s cricket is still hidden, whereas the PCB releases comprehensive compensation statistics for men’s cricket. For example, a men’s domestic cricketer playing one Quaid-e-Azam Trophy game in every match gets PKR 200,000 (about USD 715). Apart from that, a Grade A contractual men’s domestic player gets retainers alone PKR 550,000 (about USD 2,000). On the other hand, the domestic players of the highest-paid ladies fight to make ends meet.
The difference also pertains to the general budget allocation. Senior and Under-19 men’s domestic cricketer match fees alone come to USD 390,361, significantly more than the budget for women’s cricket (USD 250,060). This disparity draws attention to the systematic disregard for Pakistani women’s cricket.
Societal and Structural Obstacles
Apart from financial limitations, Pakistani women cricket players face many social and institutional challenges. Cultural standards and society’s expectations often deter women from choosing athletics as a vocation. Inadequate infrastructure, training centers, and coaching tools further aggravate the difficulties.
The PCB’s contradictory policies—such as delayed payments, sudden changes in domestic structures, and last-minute modifications to training camps—also aggravate the players. These problems impede not only the growth of women’s cricket but also deter young players from picking up the game.
The Approach Ahead
The PCB has to prioritize women’s cricket if Pakistan wants to challenge the international scene. This calls for a multifarious approach:
- The board has to set more of its budget for women’s cricket so that players have equitable pay and access to first-rate training facilities.
- Improved playing chances: Increasing the domestic calendar and adding more competitions will expose players more and provide them with experience.
- Investing in school-level cricket and grassroots initiatives will help to find and foster emerging talent.
- The PCB has to aim to close the gender pay difference so that women cricket players get the same respect and compensation as their male colleagues.
- Support systems and infrastructure: Modern training facilities and access to physiotherapists, nutritionists, and expert trainers will help Pakistan’s women’s cricket to be of better quality.
To read more blog: Stokes Will Not Play in The IPL, But Anderson and Archer Will Play
Final Thoughts
Pakistan has a strong love for cricket, but this enthusiasm has to be seen in every facet of the game, including women’s cricket. Although the PCB’s recent initiatives to increase local contracts are admirable, they do not solve the structural problems afflicting women’s cricket.
The idea of seeing Pakistan’s women’s cricket players compete at the highest level will remain only that—that dream—without major structural and financial improvements. The PCB should take the front stage and give women’s cricket the respect and funding it merits. Pakistan may then really say it is a country that loves cricket.
