ICC Announces Equal Prize Money in World Cups for Men and Women

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared equal prize money for men and women in World Cups, starting with the Women's T20 World Cup 2024. The winners will receive USD 2.34 million, with overall prize funds increased by 225%. This decision reflects ICC's commitment to gender equality in cricket.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday declared equal prize money for men and women in World Cups, starting with the Women's T20 event in the UAE next month.

The champions of the Women's T20 World Cup will receive USD 2.34 million, marking a 134% increase from the USD 1 million awarded to Australia's women's team for their victory in South Africa in 2023, according to an ICC statement.

India, the winners of the men's T20 World Cup earlier this year, were rewarded with USD 2.45 million in prize money.

The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 will be the first ICC event where women receive the same prize money as their male counterparts, marking a significant milestone in the sport's history. This decision was finalized at the ICC Annual Conference in July 2023, where the ICC Board committed to reaching its prize money equity target seven years ahead of schedule, originally set for 2030. This makes cricket the only major team sport to offer equal prize money for its World Cup events.

The runners-up will earn USD 1.17 million, a 134% increase compared to the USD 500,000 awarded to South Africa for reaching the finals on home soil at Newlands Cricket Ground in 2023.

The two losing semi-finalists will each receive USD 675,000, up from USD 210,000 in 2023, with the total prize pool amounting to USD 7.96 million, a staggering 225% rise from last year's fund of USD 2.45 million.

Teams victorious during the group stages will take home USD 31,154 per match, while the six teams that don't reach the semi-finals will share USD 1.35 million, distributed based on their final standings.

For comparison, the overall pool for the six teams in 2023 was USD 180,000, shared equally. Teams finishing third or fourth in their group will each receive USD 270,000, while those finishing fifth will get USD 135,000.

The ICC stated, 'This initiative aligns with our strategy to prioritize women's cricket and accelerate its growth by 2032. Teams will now receive equal prize money for similar finishing positions at equivalent events and identical amounts for match victories.'

(With inputs from agencies.)