Australian Cricket Launches Women and Girls Action Plan to Drive Growth and Equality in Cricket

Australian Cricket has taken a monumental step towards advancing women’s sports with the launch of its Women and Girls Action Plan. The plan aims to propel cricket to the forefront of the women’s sports revolution by driving significant increases in participation, audiences, commercial revenue, and representation over the next decade.

Key features of the plan include increased investment in female-friendly infrastructure, grassroots programs, player payments, and competitions. The plan sets bold targets to enhance all aspects of cricket for women and girls, with a major focus on filling stadiums, growing viewing audiences for women’s internationals and the WBBL, and creating more playing opportunities and higher player payments.

One of the highlights of the plan is the introduction of a new domestic women’s T20 competition, which will raise the average female domestic player salary to $163,322 by 2024-25. The WBBL will also feature a 40-game regular season, aligning it with the BBL, and ensure enhanced scheduling and player availability for a better competition experience for fans locally and globally.

The Women and Girls Action Plan aims to achieve several goals by 2034, including increasing total revenue from women’s cricket to $121 million, growing participation by 5-12-year-old girls, and ensuring at least 40% female representation in key positions across Australian Cricket. The plan also aims for Australian women’s cricket to win gold medals at the 2028 and 2032 Olympics.

Australian player Ellyse Perry expressed her excitement about the plan, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and increased opportunities for women and girls in cricket. CA Chief Executive Officer Nick Hockley highlighted the success of women’s cricket in Australia and the potential for further growth with the implementation of the action plan.

Overall, the Women and Girls Action Plan represents a significant milestone in the advancement of women’s cricket in Australia, with a strong focus on inclusivity, growth, and sustainability for the future of the sport.