Cricket Australia "locked in" a big pay raise for its women cricketers, a move it said "will mean the Southern Stars will be the nation's best paid women's sports team," according to Andrew Tate of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The "doubling of the elite players' pool" from A$2.36M ($1.8M) to A$4.23M ($3.2M) will have the Southern Stars, who played in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in India, able to earn more than A$100,000 ($75,933) a year. Maximum retainers for the Southern Stars rise from A$49,000 ($37,210) to A$65,000 ($49,356) and retainers for the Women's Big Bash League rise from a A$15,000 ($11,390) base rate to A$80,000 ($60,750). Minimum retainers have more than doubled, rising from A$19,000 ($14,427) to A$40,000 ($30,375) for the Southern Stars and A$3,000 ($2,278) to A$7,000 ($5,315) for the WBBL. There will be "improved travel and health benefits and, after a further consultation period, an updated policy for players who want to start a family." CA CEO James Sutherland said, "We are determined to make cricket the sport of choice for women in Australia" (SMH, 4/6). In Sydney, Lalor & Gatt reported female cricketers have "won a significant pay rise but a bitter behind-the-scenes dispute has cost them an even bigger salary increase." The story exposed a "bitter behind-the-scenes industrial dispute that has taken some of the gloss off the announcement" after CA rejected an offer by the Australian Cricketers Association to increase the women’s payment pool by another A$1.45M ($1.1M). The men were "willing to give up that amount from their contractual arrangements with CA if the players association could have significant involvement in overseeing the contract process and the guarantee of certain conditions." Negotiations stalled a fortnight ago and CA "walked away saying it would pay" the women A$4.23M, rejecting the association’s offer to fund 26% of that amount. The players association then "offered to top up" the A$4.23M with the A$1.45M but "were snubbed." Despite the dispute, the women are "starting to earn some real money even if it pales into comparison to what the men earn." Business Review Weekly estimated that Australian cricketers Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson each earned over A$4M ($3M) last year "with around half of that made up by their CA contract" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 4/7).
