Today we will discuss the salary of women cricketers in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia.
Although there are some debates on the ideal length of the WBBL, it has certainly helped change the women’s game.
However, there’s one question on every cricket fan’s mind: just how much do these players make?
WBBL Salary – By the Numbers
The average salary of a player in the WBBL is $48,800 AUD or $30,812 USD (maximum 15 players in squad with a purse of $732,000 AUD or $462185 USD).
The average salary for an overseas WBBL cricketer is $85,891 AUD or $54,232 (maximum of $1,975,500 AUD for 23 overseas players). On the other hand, the average salary for a domestic player in the WBBL is $40,005 AUD or $25,259 USD (3,880,500 AUD or $245,0148 for 97 domestic spots).
The maximum a domestic player in the Women’s BBL can earn is $133,000AUD ($83,976 USD), while the maximum overseas draft price is $110,000 AUD ($69,434 USD).
The eight teams of the WBBL team have a combined salary cap of $5,856,000 AUD or $3,697,479 USD ($732,000 AUD or $462,185 for each of the 8 teams).
Draft Picks
Salary Amounts
Platinum
$110,000 AUD ($69,454 USD)
Gold
$90,000 AUD ($56,826 USD)
Silver
$65,000 AUD ($41,041 USD)
Bronze
$40,000 AUD ($25,256 USD)
Direct Nomination
$61,750 AUD ($38,988 USD) Maximum
*Note, the conversion rate we used was as follows: $1 AUD = $0.63 USD as of 10/21/2023.
Women’s Big Bash League 2023 Overseas Draft Picks – Salary of Women Cricket Player in the WBBL
Here were the rules for the direct nomination part of the overseas draft:
There was a direct nomination for players who did not want to take part in the draft but could sign directly with a franchise. Note, that if a player chose to go through a direct nomination, then the maximum amount they could earn a maximum of 95% of the Silver draft bracket price or upto $61,750 AUD ($38,988 USD).
*will miss the first part of the tournament. Sarah Glenn will replace her.
2. Gold Draft Pick ($90,000 AUD($56,826 USD))
Player
Country
Team
Danni Wyatt*
England
Perth Scorchers
Maia Bouchier
England
Melbourne Stars
Bryony Smith
England
Hobart Hurricanes
*withdrawn
3. Silver Draft Pick ($65,000 AUD($41,041 USD))
Player
Country
Team
Dani Gibson
England
Adelaide Strikers
Lauren Bell
England
Sydney Thunder
Bess Heath
England
Brisbane Heat
4. Bronze Draft Pick ($40,000 AUD ($25,256 USD))
Player
Country
Team
Jess Kerr
New Zealand
Sydney Sixers
5. Direct Nomination Pick ($61,750 AUD($38,988 USD)) – Maximum
Player
Country
Team
Tammy Beamont
England
Melbourne Renegades
Amy Jones
England
Perth Scorchers
Sophia Dunkley
England
Melbourne Stars
Mignon du Preez
South Africa
Brisbane Heat
Lizelle Lee
South Africa
Hobart Hurricanes
Georgia Adams
England
Adelaide Striker
Chamari Athapaththu (Replacement)
Sri Lanka
Sydney Thunder
Final Thoughts
The WBBL is going to be tested in the 2023 season.
We will learn if the overseas draft worked and if the length of the tournament should be reduced. Danni Wyatt withdrew due to fatigue. Other women cricketers are thinking about overkill of cricket and mental health as well.
What do you think? Where do you think will the Weber’s WBBL go on?
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Frequently Asked Questions – Salary of Women’s cricketers in the WBBL in Australia
What is the average salary for a Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) player?
The average salary of a player in the WBBL is $48,800 AUD or $30,812 USD (maximum 15 players in squad with a purse of $732,000 AUD or $462185 USD).
How much money does Ellyse Perry make in the WBBL?
Although domestic player salaries are not made public, the maximum a domestic player in the Women’s Big Bash League can earn is $133,000AUD ($83,976 USD). Ellyse Perry will probably be making around this amount.
Who was the most expensive player in the 2023 overseas WBBL draft?
Marizanne Kapp, Sophie Devine, Hayley Matthews, Alice Capsey, Shabnim Ismail, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Heather Knight, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Laura Wolvaardt are the most expensive players in the 2023 overseas WBBL draft as a Platinum Draft pick.
WPL23 Auction had its share of drama and despair. The Women’s Premier League was delayed at least 3-5 years, but it is finally here.
Today we have the ultimate resource on WPL23 Auction—The entire list of auction buys (in both Indian Rupee and US dollars), most expensive buys & unsold players, team squads, predicted XIs, analysis, and more!
The top 5 most expensive players at the WPL23 auction were Smriti Mandhana (INR 3.4 Crore), Ashleigh Gardner (INR 3.2 Crore), Nat Sciver-Brunt (INR 3.2 Crore), Deepti Sharma (INR 2.4 Crore), and Jemimah Rodrigues (INR 2.2 Crore).
Tara Norris (USA) was the only player selected from an Associate Nation. Mahika Gaur from UAE was bid by Gujarat Giants for INR 10 Lakh. However, Giants had already completed their overseas quota. Hence, the bid was taken back and sadly, Gaur was not selected.
449 cricketers (270 Indian, 179 overseas) players put their name in the Women’s Premier League Auction 2023. The breakdown of the overseas players was as follows (31 England, 29 Australia, 23 West Indies, 19 New Zealand, 17 South Africa, 15 Sri Lanka, 11 Zimbabwe, 9 Thailand & Bangladesh, 6 Ireland, 4 UAE, 2 Netherlands & Scotland, and 1 USA & Hong Kong).
Alice Capsey, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Bell, Heather Knight, Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Issy Wong (7 England), Ashleigh Gardner, Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Erin Burns, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Heather Graham, Georgia Wareham, Laura Harris (14 Australian), Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Dane van Niekerk, Chloe Tryon (4 South African), Tara Norris (1 USA), Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews (2 West Indies), Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (2 New Zealand) are the 30 foreign players picked for WPL 23 auction.
20 Cricketers for Whom Teams Broke the Bank at the WPL23 Auction
Smriti Mandhana – INR 3.4 Crore ($415,000)
Ashleigh Gardner – INR 3.2 Crore ($390,000)
Nat Sciver-Brunt – INR 3.2 Crore ($390,000)
Deepti Sharma – INR 2.4 Crore ($317,000)
Jemimah Rodrigues – INR 2.2 Crore ($268,000)
Shafali Verma – INR 2 Crore ($244,000)
Beth Mooney – INR 2 Crore ($244,000)
Pooja Vastrakar – INR 1.9 Crore ($232,000)
Richa Ghosh – INR 1.9 Crore ($232,000)
Harmanpreet Kaur – INR 1.8 Crore ($220,000)
Sophie Ecclestone – INR 1.8 Crore ($220,000)
Ellyse Perry – INR 1.7 Crore ($207,000)
Renuka Singh Thakur – INR 1.5 Crore ($183,000)
Marizanne Kapp – INR 1.5 Crore ($183,000)
Yastika Bhatia – INR 1.5 Crore ($183,000)
Tahlia McGrath – INR 1.4 Crore ($171,000)
Devika Vaidya – INR 1.4 Crore ($171,000)
Meg Lanning – INR 1.1 Crore ($134,000)
Shabnim Ismail – INR 1 Crore ($122,000)
Amelia Kerr – INR 1 Crore ($122,000)
13 Unlucky Prominent Players that were Left Unsold at the WPL23 Auction
Katherine Sciver-Brunt (England): Base Price – 50 Lakhs ($61,000)
Danni Wyatt (England): Base Price – 50 Lakhs ($61,000)
Alana King (Australia): Base Price – 40 Lakhs ($49,000)
Amy Jones (England): Base Price – 40 Lakhs ($49,000)
Priya Punia (India): Base Price – 40 Lakhs ($49,000)
Suzie Bates (New Zealand): Base Price – 30 Lakhs ($37,000)
Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka): Base Price – 30 Lakhs ($37,000)
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa): Base Price – 30 Lakhs ($37,000)
Tammy Beaumont (England): Base Price – 30 Lakhs ($37,000)
Lea Tahuhu (New Zealand): Base Price – 30 Lakhs ($37,000)
Salma Khatun (Bangladesh): Base Price – 40 Lakhs ($49,000)
Jahanara Alam (Bangladesh): Base Price – 30 Lakhs ($37,000)
Ayabonga Khaka (South Africa): Base Price – 30 Lakhs ($37,000)
WPL23 (Women’s Premier League 2023) Complete Squads
Staff: Jonathan Batty, Hemalata Kala, Lisa Keightley, Biu George
Look out for the Delhi Capitals. The Top 5 are one of the strongest in the WPL and quite a bit of international talent in the bowling department as well. A possible X-factor is the fast bowling trio in Kapp-Pandey-Reddy to back up their batters and spinners.
Staff: Nooshin Al Khadeer, Tushar Arothe, Mithali Raj
Good Indian contingent with a decent possible XI, but may struggle to find replacements. Ash Gardner, Sneh Rana, and Harleen Deol might be a handful allrounders with their offspinners especially handy in Mumbai conditions.
Indian Internationals: Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur, Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur
Foreign: Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Issy Wong (England), Chloe Tryon (South Africa), Heather Graham (Australia)
Indian Uncapped: Priyanka Bala, Neelam Bisht, Dhara Gujjar, Saika Ishaque, Humaira Kazi, Jintamani Kalita
Great overseas players – the versatility of Matthews, Kerr, and Nat Sciver-Brunt will be key for Mumbai’s chances. Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet, and Pooja Vastrakar also give Mumbai a solid Indian core. However, the fast bowling is a bit light for a T20 squad. Has a good chance to be in the Top 3.
RCB has all the ingredients for a successful WPL campaign, but what will their XI be? They have a star-studded overseas stars in Perry, Devine, van Niekerk, Megan Schutt, Heather Knight, and more, but they can only pick 4 in the XI. The lower batting order is of concern, but that aside, this is a side that should make the final.
Only one word comes to mind when we look at the UP Warriorz squad—Balance.Good depth of all-rounders and stars in Alyssa Healy, Deepti Sharmi, Tahlia McGrath, Ecclestone, Ismail, Gayakwad. Good pick of spinners, fast bowlers, Indian nationals, overseas talent, and U-19 World Cup winners. Could be a dark-horse.
Frequently Asked Questions – Get to Know the Players
Which foreign players were picked for the WPL23 auction?
Alice Capsey, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Bell, Heather Knight, Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Issy Wong (England), Ashleigh Gardner, Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Erin Burns, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Heather Graham, Georgia Wareham, Laura Harris (Australia), Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Dane van Niekerk, Chloe Tryon (South Africa), Tara Norris (USA), Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (New Zealand) are the foreign players picked for WPL 23 auction.
Who were the most expensive buys at the WPL23 auction?
The top 5 most expensive players at the WPL23 auction were Smriti Mandhana (INR 3.4 Crore), Ashleigh Gardner (INR 3.2 Crore), Nat Sciver-Brunt (INR 3.2 Crore), Deepti Sharma (INR 2.4 Crore), and Jemimah Rodrigues (INR 2.2 Crore).
Who were the most prominent unsold players at the WPL23 auction?
Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt, Alana King, Amy Jones, Priya Punia, Suzie Bates, Meghna Singh, Laura Woolvaardt, Lea Tahuhu, and Tammy Beaumont were the most prominent unsold players ath the Women’s Premier League 2023 auction.
Cricket at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth games was a watershed moment in world cricket.
With the ICC trying to push for cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 LA Olympics, women’s cricket at CWG was a trial run. No post-match presentation ceremonies, Barbados participating as a separate qualified nation, different Covid-19 protocols, and finally a ‘Gold Medal’ match for cricket.
The good news? It was more or less a success. The semi-finals, finals, and the Bronze medal match all went down to the wire. Unlike the rumored T10 format for the Olympics, it was nice to see that T20 did the job fairly well. The best of all – crowds were in!
Hosting a world wide tournament in England is one thing…in a non-Test cricket playing nation…that may be a different challenge altogether.
India, Australia, England, and New Zealand qualified for the semi-finals. With the exception of a NZ team (which was on a downfall earlier), this was not exactly was a surprise.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 46 & 102, Barbados bundled out for 62 & 64, and Pakistan all out for 99. On the flip side, Australia chased 155 out of nowhere, and the big teams had 11 scores combined between 150-170.
3. Australia are Invincible
In the opening match of the tournament, Renuka Singh’s four wicket haul were struggling at 49/5, courtesy Renuka Singh’s 49/5.
Then, I tweeted this – a seemingly arrogant headline by ESPNCricinfo, already gifting the gold medal to Australia
And suddenly, @ESPNcricinfo's headline of "…But the Gold seems reserved for #Australia" seems a bit far fetched….👀😅🤔
— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) July 29, 2022
And guess what? Ash Gardner scored an unbeaten 52*(35) to take Australia home with Grace Harris and Alana King providing strong support.
It seems that Gold is reserved for this Australian team. This team is invincible – ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, record streak of ODI wins, and now the Commonwealth Gold Medal.
This team is so strong that Ellyse Perry, yes the Ellyse Perry, sat on the sideline all tournament.
4. India lose out on nerves again, but is lack of WIPL the only reason?
India lost the final against Australia by 9 runs, the same margin they had lost in the 2017 ODI World Cup final. And in a similar fashion as well.
Chasing 162, India had recovered to a steady 118/2 in 14.2 overs. The young star, Jemimah Rodrigues and senior captain-slash-arch-nemesis, Harmanpreet Kaur were playing. Rodrigues was dismissed for 33 and Kaur followed soon with 65. Some baffling decisions with Yastika Bhatia, a regular #3 being sent at #9 & three run outs ensured India fell 9 run short, with 3 balls still to spare.
Social media went haywire with India’s inability to finish and ‘lack of mental strength’ accusations galore. Lots of pointers that the Women’s IPL has already been delayed 2-3 years too long and that resulted in not enough pressure situation practice.
That is partially true but a WIPL wouldn’t magically have done anything. Results and increased depth from WIPL will probably be seen in a decade from now at the earliest. This loss could be attributed to nerves in a final (regardless of the team), an Australian team one level above, and error in judgment by the set batters.
5. Early retirements a concern in women’s cricket too
Trent Boult’s semi-unofficial-retirement (in fashion of AB De Villiers), Ben Stokes’ ODI retirement, and Quinton de Kock’s Test retirement are not the only signs of cricket’s changing landscape.
Lizelle Lee (30) & Deandre Dottin (31) both announced shock retirements from international cricket. Although the reasons were different, it shows growing dissent between the players and respective boards.
Today’s Scenario: Mithali Raj Lifts the 2017 Cricket World Cup
In our segment Just Imagine, we explore how a specific moment in cricket could have lasting ripple effects. Going back in time, we ask a simple question: What Would Happened if…? and reflect on its consequences.
Since the Women T20 Challenge is in full flow among the teams—Trailblazers, Velocity, and the Supernovas, we imagine what would have happened if India had not collapsed against England in the 2017 Cricket World Cup Final?
Match:
England vs India, July 23rd 2017, Final, Lord’s, London, ICC Women’s World Cup
Background:
The 2017 Cricket World Cup was a watershed moment in several ways for women’s cricket. It was widely broadcasted and viewed, the matches were highly competitive, several remarkable individual performances were on show, and to cap it off—an intense final.
The hosts were favorite to win the trophy, while India captured the imagination of the world during the tournament.
In the group stages, India had won 5/7 games while brushing Australia aside in the semi-finals thanks to Harmanpreet Kaur’s magnificent 171*—maybe the best world cup innings by an Indian in a semi-final, certainly in the last decade. On the other hand, England squeaked past the Proteas with 2 balls to spare. Their only defeat in the tournament coming at the hand of India via Smriti Mandana’s elegant 90.
The final was a classic low-scoring thriller. Ebbs and flows throughout.
England scored 228/7. In response, Mandana and Raj fell cheaply before Punam Raut and Kaur stabilized and registered 50s.
Chasing 229, India are sitting comfortably at 191-3.
38 needed off 44 balls. Punam Raut 86* (114), Veda Krishnamurthy 28* (28). Then, next ball, there is an appeal for LBW…
What Actually Happened:
42. 5 Shrubsole to Raut OUT:
Punam has asked for a review but the umpire says sorry, you took too long.Do England have wink of an opportunity? This was the wrong shot. Length ball sliding in from wide of the crease, Punam plays all around the delivery. Looked to work it square when he could’ve played in down the ground. Hit on the knee roll. That would’ve gone on to hit the stumps. Has she done enough though?
If Punam Raut had straight batted the shot, or if the DRS review was called in time, and the decision (magically) overturned, what would have happened?
The Consequence:
Punam Raut hits an unbeaten century in the final. Veda seals the deal with an exquisite six.
Jhulam Goswami, the star with 3 wickets on the final, and captain Mithali Raj retire as World Cup winners. The 2017 squad return as legends. Their stories now etched in stone along with the 1983 and 2011.
The BCCI want to capitalize as usual.
They have a template—2007 T20 World Cup and the 2008 IPL. Upon the Indian men’s victory, the experiment of IPL turned into an unprecedented success, changing the global cricket game forever.
They have an opportunity again.
The Women’s IPL launches in 2018. All the world cup heroes are in their prime. Raj captains the Chennai Super Kings, Harmanpreet the marquee player for Kings XI Punjab, and Mandhana starring for the Mumbai Indians. With foreign players such as Heather Knight, Nat Sciver, and the world’s greatest Ellyse Perry, the WIPL is a financial and global success.
This T20 experience gained helps Indian women win the 2020 T20 World Cup defeating Australia in their background in front of a 86,174 crowd at the MCG.
Reflection – Inaction Trumps Imagination
Well, things did not turn out that way, did it?
Winning and losing is part and parcel of the game. Yes, one moment can change histories, but sometimes if action is taken in the right time, it could pay dividends as well.
India’s performance had already delighted audiences around the world and Goswami-Mithali-Harmanpreet-Mandana were household names.
Why then, has the WIPL not been put into action?
It did not need to be an 8 team tournament. A 5-6 team tournament would be wonderful as well. In 3 years, teams would have stabilized, rivalries and fanbase would have fostered, and ultimately, women’s cricket would have benefitted.
Instead, we are watching the 3rd T20 Women’s challenge as an afterthought of a 56 match exhausting Men’s IPL, just taking a break before the Playoffs. Meanwhile, most of the foreign players like Heather Knight, Alyssa Healy, and Ellyse Perry are employing their trade at the WBBL, and we are just waiting for the Hundredfor a competitive world T20 women’s league.
With the likes of Shefali Verma, Deepti Sharma, and Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s future is still bright, but by the time WIPL commences, India women’s stars would have already retired.
Jemimah Rodrigues times a cover drive to perfection
Inspired By Conversations with Vandit and ESPNCricinfo’s Alternative Universe Series.
