Counties have been advised to “practise what they preach” by the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA) following the ECB’s allocation of “Tier 1” teams in England’s redesigned women’s domestic structure.
With the exception of Derbyshire and Worcestershire, the first-class counties will find out in the next two weeks if their requests to host teams in the top division of the new professional structure were granted. They received invitations to offer bids in February, and during the last month, the ECB has conducted interviews with them.
However, some players are worried that counties won’t keep their word. They voiced their worries to the Players’ Confederation of England and Wales (PCA) in recent weeks at their yearly preseason meetings. Chief operating officer of the PCA Daryl Mitchell told ESPNcricinfo that the organisation will pressure the ECB to make sure winning bids meet their commitments.
Mitchell remarked, “Hopefully, we’ll see them practise what they preach.” “Holding these teams and counties accountable will be a crucial aspect of the upcoming year. The ECB’s auditing and enforcement will be extremely significant, and we can clearly contribute to that as well.
“Right now, a certain regional side is occasionally administered by three counties, and there is occasionally a lack of ownership and accountability. Going ahead, the new system will have that in large quantities, which is, in my opinion, a good thing. The desire to not feel like an afterthought and to have equal access to coaches and facilities is something that players take very seriously.”
The PCA and ECB have informally agreed to equalise the minimum salary for male and female cricket players and to set a minimum squad size of 15 for the new Tier 1 teams. The new County Partnership Agreement (CPA), which will cover 2025–2029, will formalise those promises.
“At the moment, you’ve got some female players essentially working two jobs to try and make ends meet,” Mitchell stated. It is our responsibility to ensure that such minimum wages are acceptable and on par with those of men. It is imperative to facilitate athletes’ transition to the professional ranks, and we have verbally agreed on that. That is a crucial step to take.
“The players are aware of how far the game has advanced in a comparatively short amount of time. They’re definitely thrilled to have 15-person squads. The haves and have-nots of professional and then pay-as-you-play players have made it difficult in locker rooms across the nation. It is a challenging dynamic.
“Players are ecstatic that the counties are taking charge. They appear to favour the “one club, two team” philosophy that has been prevalent in the Hundred over the past few seasons. Though there may be some teething issues, overall, it seems like it will advance the women’s game and be good for the game.”
Those “teething problems” include the possibility of players moving and the signing of numerous new domestic contracts throughout the summer. “The unknown brings some anxiety,” said Mitchell, “but I think getting a base, a long-term contract and a mortgage is something that excites players too – and that ability to plan their life for the next period of time.”
Mitchell forewarned the eight counties that their attempts to host Tier 1 teams would not succeed, but they should not give up on supporting women’s cricket. “The tender process has made counties really think about how they can incorporate the women’s game properly within their structures… hopefully, those eight that are unsuccessful become Tier 2 teams and put just as much emphasis on building foundations underneath the top tier.”
The Hundred was a frequent topic of discussion at the PCA’s preseason meetings with players, and Mitchell is optimistic that female players will gain from the anticipated modifications to the league’s ownership structure, which will see teams exposed to private investment. “A lot of the discussion in the media has been centred around the men’s game, but behind the scene there’s a lot about the women’s game as well,” he stated.
“Observe the ECB’s marketing strategy for the Hundred; it heavily emphasises an equal platform. We’ll be making sure that whoever is buying into these teams is fully committed to both the men’s and women’s game. I don’t think anyone knows exactly what is going to be for sale and how, but there will definitely be some really important caveats around investors investing equally in the men’s and women’s Hundred.”
Next Saturday marks the commencement of the final season of the women’s regional format, with four matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy first round. Australian international players have been added to a number of clubs. On Thursday, Katie Mack and Georgia Voll signed with Thunder, following earlier in the week the announcement by Northern Diamonds of Erin Burns’ impending arrival.