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The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has made a pivotal decision to enhance the domestic match fees and salaries for women cricketers, marking a significant step forward. This announcement comes from the newly established ad-hoc committee led by Tamim Iqbal, which officially commenced its operations on Tuesday. Under the new structure, players will earn BDT 10,000 (approximately USD 80) for T20 matches, BDT 15,000 (around USD 120) for 50-over games, and BDT 20,000 (about USD 160) for first-class matches, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

Monthly Salary Increase for Top Female Players

The monthly compensation for the top 36 women cricketers in Bangladesh's domestic circuit has been increased from BDT 30,000 (approximately USD 240) to BDT 40,000 (around USD 320). Tamim Iqbal expressed that while this is a positive change, there is still more work to be done. He stated, "This may not be ideal, but it is certainly an improvement, considering there are limits to how much can be increased at once."

Men's Domestic Cricketers Also Benefit from Pay Hike

In addition to the women's pay increase, the BCB's ad-hoc committee has approved salary hikes for male domestic cricketers as well. Players in Category A will now receive BDT 65,000 (approximately USD 540) monthly, while those in Categories B and C will earn BDT 50,000 (around USD 415) and BDT 40,000 (about USD 333) respectively. Furthermore, first-class match fees have risen from BDT 70,000 (approximately USD 583) to BDT 100,000 (around USD 833).

Effective Date and Future Plans

The new salary structure for both male and female cricketers will take effect from January 1, 2026. Tamim noted, "There has been little increment in the past three to four years. I think the players were highly underpaid in the previous salary structure. These players work hard, and cricket exists because of their efforts. At the very least, they deserve fair compensation."

Ad-hoc Committee's Objectives

The BCB has also defined roles for the eleven members of the ad-hoc committee, which is actively addressing the ongoing issues with club teams and aims to kick off the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League in the coming weeks.