Going forward winning a World Cup in men's or women's cricket will come with the same prize money. In a massive leg-up for the women's game, the ICC announced equal prize money for both men's and women's events today, following its annual conference in Durban. The decision includes Under-19 World Cups too.
"This is a significant moment in the history of our sport, and I am delighted that men's and women's cricketers competing at ICC global events will now be rewarded equally," ICC chair Greg Barclay said. "Since 2017, we have increased prize money at women's events every year with a clear focus on reaching equal prize money and from here on in, winning the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup will carry the same prize money as winning the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and the same for T20 World Cups and U-19s too."
Teams across men's and women's cricket will also receive the same amount for winning each game at corresponding World Cups, and finishing runners-up, making the semi-finals and so on.
Australia, the winners of the Women's T20 World Cup earlier this year, had received US$ 1 million in prize money. England, who'd taken the equivalent men's title in November 2022, had won US$ 1.6 million in prize money.
Players won't lose 100% of match fee to slow over rates
The ICC also capped over-rate fines at 50% of players' match fees in the World Test Championship. Players will be fined 5% of their fee for every over their team is short, up to 50%. The decision was taken by the ICC's Chief Executives' Committee (CEC).
"If a team is bowled out before the new ball is due at 80 overs, there will be no over-rate penalty applied even if there is a slow over rate. This replaces the current 60 over threshold," the ICC website said.
"The Men's Cricket Committee felt strongly that over-rate penalties in the form of WTC points deductions should remain but recommended that players should not have 100% of their match fee at risk," Sourav Ganguly, who is chair of the Men's Cricket Committee and sits on the CEC, said. "We believe this provides a balance between maintaining over-rates and ensuring we are not deterring players from playing Test cricket."
This rule will be retrospectively applied to the this WTC cycle, which started with an Ashes Test on June 16.