According to a report released on Wednesday by the Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA), the number of central contracts offered by 11 countries has increased by 75% since 2020. It was also noted that the competitive structures of women's cricket have clearly increased.
"The majority of cricket nations have made significant progress since FICA's 2020 report, with a clear increase in competitive structures and professional employment opportunities (119 central contracts in 2020 increased to 209 in the report period, with 492 major domestic T20 league contract opportunities projected in 2023)."
"Positive policy reform, including gender equity principles, has also been implemented by a number of national governing bodies. To accelerate progress, there is still significant room for more targeted initiatives and investment at the global level and in more countries "said the report's first key finding, published on Wednesday.
FICA also stated that the previously mentioned gap between the "haves" and "have nots" still exists, with a clear correlation between on-field performance and off-field structures and investment.
"While some of this is due to the level of prioritisation given to the women's game in certain countries, some reflects the significant inequality in overall global game economics, which could be addressed in part by targeted global funding," they added.
Another significant finding highlighted by FICA is that 73% of women's cricket players continue to support a global schedule that allows international cricket and domestic leagues to coexist, with a significant number (48%) indicating they would consider rejecting national contracts if paid more to compete in domestic leagues if forced to choose.
"Talent flight from international cricket has become a significant issue in the men's game, and the emergence of WPL and WPSL, in addition to other established major domestic T20 leagues, means the game's leadership has a limited opportunity to find the optimal balance between formats, as well as to implement clear parameters and scheduling windows to enable international cricket to coexist with the growing domestic leagues landscape," the report continued.
With the Women's Premier League (WPL) set to take place in Mumbai from March 4-26, and the player auction on February 13, FICA believes the five-team league has the potential to "dramatically change the playing and employment landscapes from 2023 onwards," citing financial investment through media rights and the sale of franchises in particular. According to FICA, the level of investment is likely to create a new "top of the pyramid" for women's players.
"FICA is a player-led organisation in all that it does, and these Reports remain an important part of FICA's contribution to the game and advocacy for players. Given the rate of change, capturing the current playing and employment landscapes in these reports is becoming increasingly difficult, which is a good thing."
"There have been a number of significant issues that require addressing and FICA continues to urge the game's leadership to work with it to address these," said Tom Moffat, FICA CEO.