After a year away, Australia’s opener Beth Mooney returned to The Hundred. The cricket player in the player’s draft was one of the most expensive players in the Women’s Hundred when Manchester Originals broke the bank to sign her for a £50,000 contract. Despite the fact that the amount (£31,250) is a lot more than it was in 2023, Mooney wasn’t satisfied and demanded equal compensation for men and women competing internationally.
Beth Mooney believes that women’s cricket players should be paid at least £125,000, which is the top men’s pay in The Hundred.
Notably, the star batter makes a lot more money in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) than she does in England’s top division—£200,000. Mooney is content with the publicity, the fan base, and most significantly, the calibre of the competition, despite the pay scale.
Since the men are being paid more, I’m not sure if there is truly equal billing. Indeed, the tournament is among the finest in the world when it comes to its level of publicity, fan base, and quality. During a KP Snacks event at Cheetham Hill, Mooney told “It’s doing a great job getting more opportunities for women to play cricket in this country, but we’re not quite there with equal billing as with any women’s sport.”
Pay is always a difficult component, and we must always pushing the envelope: Mooney
The ECB was advised in a 2023 report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) to pay men and women equally for The Hundred by 2025. The board requested a postponement, arguing that women’s cricket had significantly less publicity and commercial value than men’s.
“I’m not sure if it’s a goal that can be attained. The payment aspect is always a little difficult because the men clearly generate a lot of money globally from their broadcasts, audience, and other activities. However, we must continue to push the envelope a little,” she said.
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