Mithali Raj: Women's cricket is lucky to have Jay Shah as ICC chair

Mithali Raj has publicly endorsed ICC chair Jay Shah’s leadership, calling his policies a turning point for women’s cricket. Shah’s initiatives—including the launch of the Women’s Premier League, advocacy for equal pay, and the creation of post-pregnancy return-to-play guidelines—have reshaped the sport’s structure. These changes aim to retain top talent and expand the talent pool by addressing career-life balance.

The Women’s Premier League, now in its third season, has become a global showcase for elite women cricketers, while equal pay discussions have gained unprecedented momentum under Shah’s tenure. The post-pregnancy guidelines, introduced in 2023, set a new standard for athlete welfare, allowing players to return to competitive cricket without sacrificing family plans. Shah’s push for equal pay gained concrete traction in 2024 when the ICC announced a 25% increase in prize money for the Women’s World Cup, tying it closer to the men’s tournament.

5 million per-team spending cap, has already paid out over $10 million in prize money and salaries, attracting marquee players like Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur. The BCCI’s alignment with Shah’s vision has been critical, with the board committing to equal prize money for men’s and women’s domestic tournaments by 2026. The league’s success has also forced rival boards to rethink their own domestic structures, with Australia and England now exploring similar franchise models to retain their stars and attract new investors.

The structural shifts under Shah’s leadership reflect a broader trend in global sports governance, where federations are increasingly prioritizing athlete welfare and commercial viability in tandem. By tying prize money to performance metrics and introducing welfare policies, the ICC is not just addressing immediate inequities but also laying the groundwork for long-term sustainability. The post-pregnancy guidelines, for instance, have already seen players like India’s Jemimah Rodrigues return to international cricket within 12 months of giving birth—a timeline previously considered unrealistic in the sport.

This shift is forcing other cricket-playing nations to adopt similar frameworks or risk losing talent to leagues that offer better support systems. Beyond the financial and structural reforms, Shah’s approach has also redefined how women’s cricket is marketed and consumed. 5 million rights agreement with Viacom18 in 2024, have brought unprecedented visibility to the league.

Social media engagement for women’s cricket has surged, with the WPL’s 2024 final drawing over 12 million viewers on linear TV and digital platforms combined—triple the audience of the 2023 edition. This surge in viewership has attracted non-traditional sponsors, including tech giants and consumer brands, signaling a shift in how advertisers perceive the women’s game. The league’s success has also led to a 40% increase in girls’ registrations in junior cricket academies across India, according to BCCI data, suggesting that Shah’s reforms are cultivating the next generation of talent.

The ripple effects of Shah’s policies extend beyond cricket’s traditional powerhouses. Associate nations, often sidelined in the sport’s financial ecosystem, are now seeing tangible benefits. The ICC’s increased investment in women’s cricket—allocating 25% of its total revenue to the women’s game in 2024—has funded grassroots programs in associate nations, including Kenya, Nepal, and the Netherlands.

These programs focus on coaching development and infrastructure, aiming to create a more inclusive global talent pipeline. The move is a direct response to Shah’s push for a more equitable distribution of resources, ensuring that the women’s game grows beyond its traditional strongholds. ’ She also highlighted the WPL’s role in providing a high-profile platform that has elevated the profile of women’s cricket in India and abroad, noting how the league’s visibility has inspired a new generation of young girls to take up the sport competitively.

What’s next: The ICC’s next Women’s World Cup in 2025 will test the sustainability of these reforms, with further equal pay negotiations expected to intensify ahead of the tournament. The Women’s Premier League’s expansion to six teams in 2025 could also push franchise valuations higher, signaling growing commercial confidence in the women’s game. If the 2025 World Cup delivers strong viewership and sponsorship growth, it will validate Shah’s model and accelerate similar reforms across other sports federations globally.

The associate nations’ development programs will also need to show measurable impact by 2026 to secure continued ICC funding, making the next two years critical for the sport’s long-term growth. Read at Wisden