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317% More!!! India's WPL Fees Dwarf Pakistan's Poverty-Level Annual Wages

Soumyajit Dutta

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Pakistan Women and India Women [Source: @Vinod780/X.com]Pakistan Women and India Women [Source: @Vinod780/X.com]

While Pakistan’s men’s domestic pay cuts recently sparked outrage, its women cricketers face a far graver crisis. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced 90 domestic contracts for women for 2024-25, but retainers remain shockingly low.

In stark contrast, India’s Women’s Premier League (WPL) offers life-changing sums. Let's take a look at how these two neighbouring cricketing nations pay their women cricketers and what is the actual difference.

The Gap Between India and Pakistan Women's Salaries

Pakistan Women's Minimal Wage

The PCB’s domestic contracts, delayed by nine months, offer retainers PKR 35,000 lower than Pakistan’s mandated minimum wage of PKR 37,000. With match fees at PKR 20,000 and no daily allowances, players scrape together PKR 1.04 million/year at best, before spending up to PKR 600,000 on training. 

Even national stars like Dar and Aliya Riaz, axed from central contracts despite consistent performances, face financial instability. PCB’s claim of “expanding the talent pool” rings hollow when players drop out within two years due to unlivable wages.

India’s WPL Paycheck Outclass Pakistan

India’s women’s cricket revolution is bankrolled by ambition. The WPL’s minimum salary of INR 10 lakhs (USD 11,500) for three weeks dwarfs Pakistan’s annual earnings, while top stars like Smriti Mandhana earn INR 2 crore (USD 230,500). Notably, India’s minimum WPL salary is approximately 317% higher than Pakistan’s annual earnings for women cricketers.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recognizes that financial security breeds professionalism. Unlike PCB, which sits on a USD 11 million surplus, India channels its ICC revenue share (USD 34.5 million) into creating viable careers, ensuring players focus on performance, not survival.

Australia, NZ Leave Pakistan in the Dust

Cricket Australia (CA), despite posting losses, pays domestic women USD 96,000 annually. New Zealand Cricket (USD 28.5 million ICC share, PKR 6 million less than PCB) guarantees its lowest-earning domestic player USD 11,000/year. 

PCB’s USD 250,060 women’s cricket budget is eclipsed by men’s domestic match fees alone (USD 390,361). While CA and NZC prioritize equity, PCB’s men’s retainers (up to PKR 550,000/month) highlight institutionalized sexism. 

What's Next For Pakistan?

Pakistan’s women’s team, ranked ninth among 11 Full Members, mirrors its board’s apathy. Limited game time, abrupt structural changes, and subpar facilities stifle growth. 

Meanwhile, India’s women, backed by robust investment, clinched Asian Games gold and reached T20 World Cup finals. While Pakistani men earn up to PKR 200,000 per first-class game, women beg for scraps. Until PCB matches rhetoric with resources, its women will remain cricket’s second-class citizens.