Australian players celebrate winning the 2015 Canterbury Test
against England with team mates. (Photo: Reuters)

The increases for the players who make up the world number one ranked Southern Stars team are part of a strategy to make cricket “the sport of choice for women in Australia”, CA Chief Executive James Sutherland said in a statement.

“Cricket is a sport for all Australians and Cricket Australia will continue to invest heavily in the women’s game in the coming years,” he added.

“That number continues to grow rapidly and we will continue to support females playing the game from backyard to baggy green.”

Top women players will now be able to earn a retainer of $65,000 a year for representing their country and $15,000 from Women’s Big Bash League teams which, when combined with match and tour fees, would take their earnings into six figures.

Cricket Australia said its spending on elite women’s cricket would increase from $2.36 million to $4.23 million and the players could also expect improved accommodation as well as less training in the week to enable them to work or study.

The Southern Stars lost to West Indies in the World Twenty20 final last weekend but remain top of the world rankings ahead of England.

Mr Sutherland added that the Southern Stars were some of the most successful sportswomen in the country and deserved to be rewarded.

“We have worked constructively with the Australian Cricketers’ Association to reach this point and will continue to do so in our ongoing efforts to improve wages and workplace conditions for all elite female cricketers,” he said.

“The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars have achieved great success on the world stage, including making it through to the recent final of the ICC World T20 in India, and are great role models for the next generation of Australia’s aspiring female cricketers.

“The Women’s Big Bash League has created a revolution with outstanding ratings that make it the most popular women’s team sport in the country.”

The earning potential of the women players still lags a long way behind their male counterparts, however, with all-rounder Shane Watson taking home $4.5 million in 2014 from salary and endorsements, according to Australian magazine BRW.

– with other agencies