Cricket Australia to trim down the Women’s Big Bash League(WBBL) to launch a new state-based T20 competition this summer.
Currently, the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) which is played in the 50-over format is the only state-based domestic competition going around in Australia, as far as Women’s Cricket is concerned.
So, Cricket Australia is all set to launch a new state-based T20 competition later this summer, after the conclusion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. The tournament is expected to run alongside the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL). To accommodate the new state-level competition, Cricket Australia (CA) are all set to trim the length of the Women’s Big Bash League to a 40-matches league stage which earlier used to be 56-matches league stage until the 9th edition of the WBBL in 2023. The reduction of the tournament will also mean that each participating team will play 10 matches in their campaign instead of 14 from the upcoming 10th edition of the tournament.
The board has announced the Women and Girls Action Plan as a part of the ambitious 10-year program for investment in Women’s cricket in the country. The plan aims to increase participation at the grassroots level, investing in infrastructure, growing commercial revenue and attracting the crowd at the elite level. It also aims for a minimum of 40% female representation in the Australian Cricket workforce that also includes executive board membership and community cricket roles.
Women and Girls Action Plan 2024-2034
100K: Girls aged 5-12 registered to play cricket by 2034.
40%: Minimum female representation across all key influential positions.
Win: All major tournaments and series including the 2028 and 2032 Olympic gold medals.
100%: All Women’s domestic players as full-time professional athletes by 2034.
600K: Attendees a year on average to women’s cricket matches by 2034.
$121M: Revenue generated for Women’s cricket by 2034.
“With viewing audiences increasing, the public appetite for women’s sport is now indisputable and we would love to see major stadiums filled with fans for our international and WBBL games and more girls inspired to play cricket. It is also extremely important that the increased interest in women’s sport is reflected in sponsorship and broadcast deals, and I hope this plan will continue to drive this growth so that women’s cricket continues to thrive.” The Australian legendary all-rounder expresses her excitement and speaks about the positive impact that the 10-year women and girls action plan could have on women’s cricket in Australia.
(Quotes sourced from Cricket Australia Press Release)