2024-09-18 22:05:15
Published: 18:39, 18 September 2024
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Bangladesh national women’s cricket team’s dissatisfaction with remuneration is not today. Compared to men’s national cricket team, women cricketers get nothing. This pay disparity is unlikely to be eliminated anytime soon. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is in the process of eliminating this disparity. Habibul Bashar Sumoner, head of women’s department of BCB, informed about the plan to bring the women closer to the men by slowly increasing the salary and match fee.
On Wednesday (September 18), Habibul Bashar said in mass media, ‘Many parties are not discriminating now. I know of few countries, whose match fee is same for boys and girls. In the beginning we here the girls were not paid that much. But now the remuneration, match fee has increased a lot. Last year also we increased. Initiatives will be taken to increase in the future.’
New Zealand is the first in international cricket to equalize match fees for men’s and women’s cricket teams. After them, England, Australia also took the same initiative. India has also followed the same path. A few days ago, South Africa eliminated wage inequality. Men’s cricket team in Bangladesh receives a match fee of Tk 6 lakh in Test match, Tk 3 lakh in ODI and T20 lakh in T20. The women’s cricket team is not playing Tests. Their match fee is 1 lakh in ODI, 50 thousand in T20.
Habibul commented that women’s cricket can move forward if this huge difference can be removed, ‘If it happens, then it is good for our girls’ cricket. More girls will be interested and motivated to play cricket. We already have socio-cultural barriers to girls entering sports here. If girls can earn significant income from here, many obstacles may be removed. We are trying to create such an atmosphere. But there is much more work to be done.’
BCB’s interest is like that, ‘We had a proposal to increase the match fee. Will be in the future. Although it may not be possible to pay the same match fee (for boys) now, I am saying this considering various realities. But the work has begun. Their financial structure is now better than before. Every year we move forward one step at a time.’
Yasin/Aminul