CA Unveils Women and Girls Action Plan to Transform Women's Cricket

Cricket Australia (CA) has unveiled a comprehensive Women and Girls Action Plan, aiming to transform women's cricket in the country. The plan includes a reduction in the WBBL season to 40 games plus finals, aligning it with the BBL and creating a new state-based T20 competition to provide additional opportunities for domestic players.

The WBBL season reduction was driven by the need to accommodate the T20 World Cup and a women's ODI series against India. However, CA has ensured that the number of games on free-to-air TV remains the same. To compensate for the reduced playing opportunities, CA has introduced a new state-based T20 competition that will run alongside the WNCL. This competition will serve as a warm-up for the WBBL and increase female domestic player salaries.

Beyond the restructuring of the WBBL, CA has set ambitious goals for women's cricket. The organization aims to increase total revenue by AU$100 million in the next ten years, increase participation for girls aged 5-12 from 25,000 to 100,000, and invest AU$500 million in women's cricket infrastructure. CA also aims to have at least 40% female representation in key positions across Australian cricket.

To enhance the visibility of women's cricket, CA has committed to scheduling more matches in major Australian stadiums. The women's Ashes Test at the MCG early next year will mark the 90th anniversary of women's Test cricket. Australia and England will also play women's T20Is at Adelaide Oval and the SCG during the multiformat series.

Australian star allrounder Ellyse Perry welcomed the initiatives, stating that they will sustain and enhance the growth of women's cricket in Australia. She emphasized the importance of increased sponsorship and broadcast deals to reflect the growing interest in women's sport.

Tags: #WBBL, #Women'sCricket, #CricketAustralia, #StateT20Competition, #OlympicGold