Today we will discuss the salary of a SA20 player in South Africa.
After years of failing to develop a T20 league, it looks like South Africa finally have a competition that will survive (with the help of the IPL franchises, of course).
The average salary of a South Africa T20 League (SA20) player is $110,000 (maximum 19 players in the squad with a maximum purse of 39.1 million South African Rands or $2.09 Million USD). The salary cap in the 2024 SA20 season increased from R. 34 million to R. 39.1 million.
The maximum salary cap for the entire SA20 was $12.55 Million, for a maximum of 114 players, divided among 6 teams.
The South Africa T20 League (SA20) – What is the Average SA20 Salary?
*Note: The amounts shown below are average auction prices. Since pre-auction signing salaries are undisclosed, some of those players are probably earning much higher amounts since the average salary of a SA20 player is $110,000.
Also, the wildcard picks have a minimum salary of R. 175,000, but this can be outside the salary purse.
SA20 Team
Average Auction Salary Amounts
Durban Super Giants
$86,550
Joburg Super Kings
$98,640
MI Cape Town
$63,270
Paarl Royals
$71,620
Pretoria Capitals
$95,200
Sunrisers Eastern Cape
$106,030
We use the conversion, $1 USD = 18.69 South African Rand (as of 1/7/2024)
SA20 Auction Picks – Salary of South Africa League T20
Now we summarize the salaries for each team based on both the 2023 SA20 Auction as well as the 2024 mini-auction.
2024 is the year where international cricket calendar might finally crash.
The inaugural seasons of SA20, ILT20, and MLC were all a huge season. Now, there is virtually no open space in the international calendar.
The SA20, with its backing from the IPL franchises, will ensure South African cricketers make a decent living, but it may come at the expense of international cricket.
Is it worth it? Can the leagues and international cricket co-exist? What is the solution?
So many questions. What do you say? Comment Below! For now, we can go and enjoy good cricket in the SA20.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Salary of South Africa T20 League (SA20) player
What is the average salary for a South Africa T20 League (SA20) player in South Africa?
The average salary for a SA20 player is about $110,000. Teams had a salary purse of 39.1 Million Rands or $2.09 Million for a maximum of 19 players in their squads.
Is the South Africa T20 League (SAT20) the richest cricket league in the world?
No, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the richest cricket league in the world. The SA20 (South African T20 League) is the 3rd richest league by average player salaries.
Who was the most expensive player in the 2024 SA20 Competition?
Tristan Stubbs (R. 9,200,000 or $492,000) is the most expensive player in the SA20 competition.
Today we will discuss the salary of a player in The Women’s Hundred in England.
Unlike the Men’s edition of the Hundred, the Women’s Hundred has been a game changer in women’s cricket.
Let’s see how much they are earning in 2023.
The Hundred Women’s Cricketer Salary – By the Numbers
The average salary of a player in the Hundred (Women’s Competition) is £28,600 or $38,077 (maximum 15 players in squad with a purse of £429,000 or $571,155).
The maximum a player in the Women’s Hundred can earn is £65,000 ($86,539), while the minimum is £10,000 ($13,314).
The highest paid cricketer in the Women’s Hundred earns £65,000 ($86,539), while the highest salary band for the Men’s Hundred at £200,000 ($266,273).
How Much Was Each Draft Pick in the Inaugural Hundred?
Salary caps for teams have almost doubled from the inaugural edition, where £31,250 ($40,000) was the highest salary band for the women’s edition.
The draft picks ranged from £30,000 ($38,475) for 7th round picks to £125,000 ($160,311) for the 1st round picks. Wildcards were drafted later as well as one centrally contracted per team.
Retentions: Georgia Elwiss, Freya Davies (Welsh Fire), Charlie Dean (London Spirit), Emma Lamb (Manchester Originals), Linsey Smith (Northern Superchargers), Bryony Smith (Trent Rockets), Lauren Bell (Southern Brave), Tash Farrant (Oval Invincibles)
Draft Picks: Sophie Munro (London Spirit), Kathryn Bryce (Manchester Originals), Alice Davidson-Richards (Northern Superchargers), Hannah Baker, Eve Jones (Birmingham Phoenix), Lizelle Lee (Trent Rockets), Maitlan Brown (Southern Brave), Dane Van Niekerk (Oval Invincibles)
Draft Picks: Josie Groves, Nat Wraith, Cassidy McCarthy (Trent Rockets), Charis Pavely, Sterre Kalis, Chloe Brewer (Birmingham Phoenix), Seren Smale, Ellie Anderson, Mary Taylor (Southern Brave), Kira Chathli, Claudie Cooper, Lizzie Scott (Oval Invincibles), Leah Dobson, Grace Ballinger, Grace Hall (Northern Superchargers), Liberty Heap, Mahika Gaur, Laura Jackson (Manchester Originals), Alex Griffiths, Chloe Skelton, Kate Coppack (Welsh Fire), Niamh Holland, Chloe Hill, Alice Monaghan (London Spirit)
Final Thoughts
The disparity between men’s & women’s sport is well documented financially. However, in cricket, the Women’s Hundred is generally considered a better product than the Men’s Hundred.
Will this, and should this, change in the near future?
Frequently Asked Questions – Salary of Women’s cricketers in the Hundred in England
What is the average salary for a women player in the Hundred in England?
The average salary of a player in the Hundred (Women’s Competition) is £16,500 or $21,118 (maximum 15 players in squad with a purse of £247,500 or $316,769).
How much money does Smriti Mandhana earn in the Hundred in England?
Smriti Mandhana will earn £31,250 ($40,000).
Who was the most expensive player in the women’s Hundred draft?
Heather Knight, Grace Harris (London Spirit), Sophie Ecclestone (Manchester Originals), Alyssa Healy (Northern Superchargers), Amy Jones (Birmingham Phoenix), Nat Sciver-Brunt (Trent Rockets), Smriti Mandhana (Southern Brave), Marizanne Kapp (Oval Invincibles), Sophia Dunkley, Shabnim Ismail (Welsh Fire), Laura Wolvaardt (Manchester Originals), Kate Cross (Northern Superchargers), Sophie Devine (Birmingham Phoenix), Harmanpreet Kaur (Trent Rockets), Danni Wyatt (Southern Brave), and Suzie Bates (Oval Invincibles) were the most expensive players in the women’s Hundred at £31,250 ($40,000).
Today we rank the salary of cricketers (men) from each Test playing nation.
Trent Boult’s shock yet understandable decision to leave the New Zealand contract has put the cricket world into frenzy. This begs the question of how much do cricketers from each country earn from a national contract.
The salary of cricketers in Australia from central contracts and match fees is the most lucrative between $362,500-1.75 million with England & India close behind with salary up to $1.5 million & 1.295 million respectively. Afghanistan, $20,000-40,000 and Zimbabwe at $4,000-90,000 rank at the bottom of the spectrum. New Zealand, South Africa, and West Indies players earn somewhere in the middle, which is why several of them have to go to England, Australia, and India to ply their trade to earn a bit more.
We present a complete breakdown of the earnings and rank each nation’s central contract strength from lowest to highest.
Salary of Cricketers from Each Nation – The Complete List (Lowest to Highest)
For the sake of this analysis, we will only consider the 12 Test playing nations.
How Did We Calculate the Estimated Salary Ranges?
We have done a bit of research based on annual reports, press releases, and trusted sources from each national board. We arrived at estimates for player salaries based on retainer central contracts and match fees. Brand endorsements, sponsorships, team/board bonuses, and match awards are not taken into consideration.
All of our sources are listed below each nation’s analysis for your reference.
Afghanistan Cricket National Contract Estimated Salary
Estimated Salary Range:$20,000-$40,000 (which may vary depending on the contract grade)
In 2023, government changed hands in Afghanistan. According to the Guardian, their cricket board paid the players around $1,000-$3,500 monthly salary.
Highest Paid Afghanistan Player Breakdown: England captain Rashid Khan earns around $2.2-3.36 million annually excluding sponsorships, match awards and bonuses:
$2.14 million (INR 18 Crore): IPL
$40,000: Afghanistan central contract
$29,953 (£22,800 – £2,850/match): ICC World Cup match fees
The variability depends on the number of leagues Rashid Khan plays in a year subject to availability. In the past, Rashid Khan has also played in the following leagues:
$340,000 (ILT20), $164,216 (£125,000, The Hundred), $220,893 ($340,000 AUD, BBL), $110,000 (SA20), $75,000 (MLC), $160,000 (CPL), and $80,000 (BPL)
*Note: Match fees is not publicly disclosed for Afghanistan cricket.
Afghanistan Cricket Board Annual Report Analysis
Since data is not widely available on Afghanistan central contracts, we make an educated estimate based on their annual report. As per ACB’s 2020 Annual report, the ACB had a revenue of $7.15 million and expenses around $6.76 million (images attached below). From the expenses, $1.71 million was administrative cost, while $5.05 million was technical cost.
Around $1.937 million was spent on international cricket, $1.44 million accrual of 2020 (or prior) overall, and $ 883,000 was spent on HR activities. Although it is not stated what portion of this money was allocated for player salaries, we can estimate that around $1 million were spent on salaries of players, coaches, support staff, etc. Currently, there are 34 centrally contracted players (listed below). Hence, we came up with the above estimate for the Afghanistan cricketer salary.
List of Afghanistan Centrally Contracted Cricketers
Grade A: Rashid Khan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi
Match fees information is not available for Afghanistan cricket.
*Note: The annual report is from 2020, prior to the Taliban takeover. No official data is available since the political situation changed in Afghanistan. For example, 25 centrally contracted women’s cricketers were added in 2020 and several development programs started. This is, most likely, no longer the case.
According to Zimbabwe’s 2020-21 Annual Report, they had allocated $659,827 for statutory obligations and salaries, $788,891 for salaries in domestic cricket, and $1,620,326 for HR-related activities in international cricket.
Highest Paid Zimbabawe Player:Sikandar Raza plays in multiple leagues around the world. His annual income before sponsorships can range from $122,000-$516,000 depending on how many T20 leagues he plays in.
In 2023, he was picked up for the IPL for $57,123 (50 Lakh INR)
He has also played in MLC, the Hundred, PSL, and ILT20. Since his draft signing price was not publicly available, we take the average salary of these tournaments: $60,526 (MLC), $117,000 (Hundred), $77,206 (PSL), $138,888 (ILT20), which totals about $393,620.
Raza played 16 ODIs and 11 T20Is in 2023, adding about $21,600 in match fees.
In 2017, Graeme Cremer was the highest earned Zimbabwe cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $90,000.
Zimbabwe Cricket National Contract
Based on Cricket Monthly, in 2017 Zimbabwe’s players earned:
Top Tier:$66,000
Middle Tier:$48,000
Bottom Tier:$36,000
What Are Match Fees for Zimbabwean Cricketers?
Test:$2,000
ODI: $1,000
T20I: $500
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), Zimbabwe played a total of 15 ODIs ($15,000), and 16 T20Is ($8,000).
Zimbabwe cricket has faced lots of contract negotiation issues over the years, but it seems like not much as changed since 2013. In 2013, ESPNCricinfo reported Zimbabwean domestic cricketer’s salary as follows:
Highest Paid Irish Player Breakdown (2023):Josh Little was picked up in the IPL 2023 auction for about $500,000 (4.4 Crore INR). He also played 14 ODIs and 14 T20Is in 2023, earning about $21,700 in match fees.
Altogether, his annual on-field salary was in the range of $600,000-$800,000 in 2023.
He has also had stints in the Hundred, MLC, CPL, and PSL, which could potentially add a further $100,000-$300,000 if was available for all tournaments in a season.
Ireland Cricket National Contract
Central Contract: $75,000
According to Ireland’s 2019 Directors’ Report and Financial Statements, the wages and salaries amounted to $3.7 million (3,690,196 euros), from which $1.57 million (1,557,584 euros) was allocated for high performance player contracts & match fees distributed among 25 centrally contracted players.
What Are Match Fees for Irish Cricketers?
ODI: $1,100
T20I: $450
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), South Africa played a total of 9 ODIs ($9,900), and 22 T20Is ($9,900).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $19,800 in match fees alone.
Maximum Possible Salary:$211,950 (Top Tier Contract + 3-format Maximum Match Fees)
Minimum Possible Salary:$54,950 (Bottom Tier Contract + T20Is only)
Highest Paid Bangladesh Player Breakdown (2024): In 2024, Mustafizur Rahman earned around $390,000-$410,000 excluding sponsorships, match awards and bonuses:
$240,000 (2 Crore INR): IPL
$58,800: Bangladesh Central Contract
$49,122 (60 Lakh BDT): BPL
$43,200: Match Fees (4 ODIs, 15 T20Is)
In 2017, Shakib Al Hasan was the highest earned Bangladesh cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $140,000.
Bangladesh Cricket National Contract
Grade A+: $98,400 (BDT 12,000,000 BDT)
Grade A: $79,200 (9,600,000 BDT)
Grade B: $58,800 (7,200,000 BDT)
Grade C: $39,600 (4,800,000 BDT)
What Are Match Fees for Bangladesh Cricketers?
Test:$6,600 (800,000 BDT)
ODI: $3,300 (400,000 BDT)
T20I: $2,000 (250,000 BDT)
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), Bangladesh played a total of 10 Tests ($70,000), 12 ODIs ($42,000), and 17 T20Is ($39,950).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $151,950 in match fees alone.
Estimated Average Range: $72,300–145,350 (with some players with higher salaries due to negotiations)
Highest Paid Pakistan Player Breakdown: Captain Babar Azam earned around $756,385 million annually excluding sponsorships, match awards and bonuses:
~$277,985 USD ($420,000 AUD): BBL
~$220,000: PSL
$190,800: Pakistan Central Contract
$67,600: Match Fees (5 Tests, 17 ODIs, 4 T20Is)
In 2017, Sarfaraz Ahmed was the highest earned Bangladesh cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $270,000.
Pakistan Cricket National Contract
Category A: $190,800 (54 Million PKR)
Category B: $127,200 (36 Million PKR)
Category C: $63,600 (18 Million PKR)
Category D: $31,800 (9 Million PKR)
This overhauls the earlier contract system based on red ball – $56,400 (12,600,000 PKR) vs white ball – $51,600 (11,400,000 PKR) split.
What Are Match Fees for Pakistani Cricketers?
Test:$4,500 (1,200,000 PKR)
ODI: $2,300 (650,000 PKR)
T20I: $1,500 (420,000 PKR)
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), Pakistan played a total of 7 Tests ($26,600), 9 ODIs ($20,700), and 24 T20Is ($41,640).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $88,940 in match fees alone.
Pakistani players named in PCB central contracts 2022-23 will be paid 838,000 PKR per Test match, 515,000 PKR for an ODI and 372,075 PKR for a T20i match. There is 10% increase in salaries.
Maximum Possible Salary: $351,000 (A1 Contract + 3-format Maximum Fees)
Minimum Possible Salary: $65,000 (D3 Contract + ODI Player Only)
Highest Paid Sri Lanka Player Breakdown:Matheesha Pathirana earned around $1.6-$1.82 million annually excluding sponsorships, match awards and bonuses:
$1.55 Million (INR 13 Crore): IPL
$50,000-$100,000: SL National Contract
$72,000: Match Fees (18 T20Is in 2024)
$10,000-$100,000: SA20 (Wildcard Pick)
In 2017, Angelo Matthews was the highest earned Sri Lankan cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $320,000.
Sri Lanka Cricket National Contract and Player List
A1: $100,000, A2: $80,000, A3: $70,000
B1: $65,000, B2: $60,000, B3: $55,000
C1: $50,000, C2: $45,000, C3: $40,000
D1: $35,000, D2: $30,000, D3: $25,000
*there are additional bonuses for team victories against top opponents ($150,000 for series victory vs #1 team, $125, 000 vs #2 team, etc. till $30,000 bonus for series win vs #7 team)
What Are Match Fees for Sri Lankan Cricketers?
Test:$7,500
ODI: $5,000
T20I: $4,000
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), Sri Lanka played a total of 10 Tests ($75,000), 8 ODIs ($40,000), and 17 T20Is ($136,000).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $251,000 in match fees alone.
In 2017, Faf Du Plessis was the highest earned South African cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $440,000.
South African Cricket National Contract
Top Tier: $363,000
Medium Tier: $221,000
Bottom Tier: $145,000
What Are Match Fees for South African Cricketers?
Test:$6,925
ODI: $1,900
T20I: $911
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), South Africa played a total of 10 Tests ($69,250), 13 ODIs ($24,700), and 13 T20Is ($11,843).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $105,793 in match fees alone.
“The cricketers are in South Africa’s highest tax-paying band, 45% and 45% of a million US dollars is a lot more than 45% of a million Rand. So if money is what matters, then it all adds up.”
In 2017, Jason Holder was the highest earned West Indian cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $270,000.
West Indies Cricket National Contract (2017)
Top Tier: $140,000
Mid Tier: $120,000
Bottom Tier: $100,000
According to CWI’s 2021 Financial Statements, overall international retainers added to $2,248,583 and match fees amounted to $3,454,310. Including captain’s allowances, players insurance, injury payments, incentives, franchise retainers, etc., the total payment to players totaled a whopping $8,758,878.
Overall, WI have 18 contracted players for the men’s team & 19 for the women’s respectively. Assuming the men & women early equally, on average retainer + match fee is about $236,726.43 per West Indian cricketer.
What Are Match Fees for West Indian Cricketers?
Test:$5,750
ODI: $2,300
T20I: $1,735
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), West Indies played a total of 7 Tests ($40,250), 21 ODIs ($48,300), and 24 T20Is ($41,640).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $130,190 in match fees alone.
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), New Zealand played a total of 9 Test matches ($59,400), 13 ODIs ($32,500), and 14 T20Is ($22,498).
A New Zealander men’s cricketer playing all three formats would have earned up to $114,398 in match fees in the 2021-22 season. Hence, Trent Boult is trying to make the most of this match fee while giving up his $300,000+ retainer.
We look at Rishabh Pant’s 2024 season. In 2025, he has only played 6 Tests so far and not featured much in limited overs cricket.
In 2017, Virat Kohli was the highest earned Indian cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $1,000,000.
What are Match Fees for Indian Cricketers?
For a player in the XI for these formats, an Indian player earns
Test: Rs. 15 Lakh ($18,800)
Test Cricket Initiative Scheme: Rs. 30 Lakh ($37,600) if the player plays more than 50-75% of Tests in a season.
ODI:Rs. 6 Lakh ($7,524)
T20I: Rs. 3 Lakh ($3,762)
*However, the fee is deducted 50% if the player is in the squad but not playing in the XI. The corresponding figures are $9,400 (Tests), $3,762 (ODIs), and $1,881 (T20Is).
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), India played a total of 8 Test matches ($150,400), 18 ODIs ($135,432), and 35 T20Is ($131,670).
For someone who played all three formats and every game in this time period, that player had the potential to earn up to $417,502 in match fees on top of their annual contract.
Maximum Possible Earnings: $1.51 million (Full Contract + Maximum Fees for 3-format player)
Minimum Possible Earnings: $349,500 (White Ball Only + 1-format ODI player only)
Highest Paid England Player Breakdown:Jos Buttler earns around $3.5-$3.85 million annually excluding sponsorships, match awards and bonuses:
$1.88 Million (INR 15.75 Crore): IPL
$1.04 Million (£800,000): England central contract
~$500,000 (SA20)
$260,930: £200,000: The Hundred
$165,000: Match Fees (15 ODIs, 15 T20Is)
In 2017, Joe Root was the highest-paid cricketer from England (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $1,380,000.
England Cricket Central Contracts
Full Contract (Max): $1.125 million (£925,000)
*Between 2016-2021, contracts were separated based on formats (figures below)but now aredivided between central contracts, increment contracts, and pace bowling development contracts.
Red Ball Only: $790,000 (£650,000)
White Ball Only:$300,000-365,000 (£250,000-300,000)
What Are Match Fees for England Cricketers?
Tests:$17,600 (£14,500)
White Ball: $5,500 (£4,500)
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), England played a total of 15 Tests($264,000), 9 ODIs ($49,500), and 13 T20Is($71,500).
For someone who played all three formats and every game in this time period, that player had the potential to earn up to $385,000 in match fees on top of their annual contract.
Maximum Salary Estimate: $1.75 million (Negotiated Contract + All 3-formats Maximum Match Fees)
Minimum Salary Estimate: $362,500 (Minimum Contract + Home Test matches only)
Highest Paid Australian Player Breakdown: Australian captain Pat Cummins earns around $3.6-4.5 million annually excluding sponsorships, match awards and bonuses:
$2.14 million (INR 18 Crore): IPL
$1.2-2 Million ($2-3 Million AUD): Australian central contract
$159,150: Match Fees (7 Home Tests, 2 Away Test, 2 ODIs, 7 T20Is)
In 2017, Steve Smith was the highest earned Australian cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $1, 470,000.
Australia Cricket National Contract
Minimum Contract: $300,000
Average Contract: $951,000
It is reported that players like David Warner and other prominent Australian cricketers may earn upwards of $1.5 million based on the final negotiations. The average men’s Australian cricketer is earning around $600,000.
What are Match Fees for Australian Cricketers?
For a player in the XI for these formats, an Australian player earns
Home Test Fees: $12,500 USD ($18,000 AUD)
Away Test Fees: $17,725 USD ($25,000 AUD)
ODI Fees: $4,800 USD ($7,000 AUD)
T20I Fees: $3,800 USD ($5,500 AUD)
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), Australia played a total of 10 Test matches (5 Home – $62,500, 5 Away – $88,625), 14 ODIs ($67,200), and 17 T20Is ($64,600).
A player who played all formats during this time period could have earned match fees alone up to $282,925.
