MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia (CA) has set ambitious targets for the growth of women’s cricket, aiming for a five-fold increase in average attendances at women’s matches and quadrupling participation rates among young girls over the next decade.
As part of their 10-year plan for the women’s game, CA will introduce a new domestic T20 competition while streamlining the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) to a 40-game season, aligning it with the men’s BBL.
Despite Australia’s dominance in global events, women’s cricket currently contributes only 5% of the sport’s total revenue in the country, facing stiff competition from T20 franchise leagues abroad.
To address these challenges, CA’s “Women and Girls Action Plan” aims to boost annual revenues to A$121 million by 2034, significantly higher than current levels. They also aim to increase annual average attendance for women’s cricket to 600,000 and participation among girls aged five to 12 to 100,000, along with investing A$500 million in infrastructure and achieving 40% female representation in key administrative positions.
CA CEO Nick Hockley emphasized the need for greater support for women’s cricket, stating, “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 play cricket.”
Furthermore, CA plans to launch a new state-based T20 competition alongside the WBBL to enhance player salaries, with the average women’s domestic player salary set to rise to A$163,322 for the 2024-25 season. These changes are aimed at attracting overseas players and ensuring the continued growth and success of women’s cricket in Australia.
