Women’s cricket has never enjoyed greater visibility. Record crowds, lucrative broadcast deals and expanding franchise leagues have transformed the sport into a commercial success in several countries.
Yet beneath that progress lies a stark imbalance. While a handful of nations have built fully professional systems, many Full Members continue to grapple with limited investment, inconsistent administration and social barriers that restrict the game’s growth.
The result is a widening divide between the sport’s established powers and those still struggling to build sustainable pathways.
Elite Teams in Women’s Cricket
Australia has established the benchmark for women’s cricket by combining sustained investment with long-term strategic planning. The results are reflected in an unmatched record of seven Women’s ODI World Cup and seven Women’s T20 World Cup titles, most recently reinforced by their seven-wicket victory over hosts England in the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup final.
Cricket Australia’s approach has been built around integration rather than token investment.
A landmark revenue-sharing agreement with the Australian Cricketers’ Association allocates players up to 30% of agreed cricket revenues, with zero earnings gap between men and women.
Coupled with the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL)—widely regarded as one of the world’s strongest domestic competitions—the model has created a sustainable pathway from grassroots to international cricket.
As a result, Australia’s leading women cricketers can earn more than AUD 800,000 annually while operating within one of the sport’s most professional environments.
England has followed a similarly structured path. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) introduced equal international match fees for men and women and aligned minimum domestic salaries, although differences remain in central contracts and overall earnings due to the commercial scale of the men’s game.
Backed by sustained investment and the success of The Hundred, England has strengthened both its talent pipeline and the commercial profile of women’s cricket.
India has rapidly emerged as the third pillar of women’s cricket. In 2022, the BCCI introduced equal international match fees before launching the Women’s Premier League (WPL), whose landmark media and franchise deals transformed women’s cricket into a commercially attractive product.
While differences in contract values persist, the scale of investment has significantly strengthened India’s domestic ecosystem.
Despite operating in smaller commercial markets, New Zealand and South Africa have remained consistently competitive by prioritising investment in women’s cricket through improved domestic contracts, stronger development pathways and sustained support for their international programmes.
Challenges Faced by Pakistan Women’s Cricket
Pakistan has made steady progress at the international level, but continues to face structural challenges that limit its ability to consistently compete with the leading nations.
Pakistan’s campaign at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 ended without a victory, as they finished at the foot of Group 1 after successive defeats against higher-ranked opposition. Batting remained the team’s biggest concern throughout the tournament, with an inexperienced lineup struggling to post competitive totals against world-class attacks.
Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir said such outcomes reflect deeper structural issues rather than the events of a single tournament.
“In Pakistan, it takes a batter eight to nine years to become established because our domestic system doesn’t consistently produce match-ready players. When four experienced batters were left out, I had concerns about our chances. The team deserves credit for qualifying, but the step up from the qualifiers to a World Cup is enormous.”
Former Pakistan fast bowler Tanveer Ahmad also pointed to the broader challenges facing the women’s game while questioning recent selection decisions.
“Coaching Pakistan’s women’s team is difficult because the talent pool is limited and social barriers still exist. But the current management should also take responsibility for changing a settled side that had successfully qualified for the World Cup.”
Financial constraints remain the most significant obstacle.
Women’s cricket relies heavily on revenues generated by the men’s game, leaving long-term development vulnerable to broader commercial and administrative priorities. Unlike Australia, England and India, PCB has not yet established a commercially sustainable domestic franchise competition capable of accelerating player development.
Grassroots participation also varies considerably. In several regions across the country, social and cultural factors continue to limit girls’ access to organised cricket, reducing the size of the talent pool available to domestic programmes.
Urban centres have produced many of the national team’s leading players, but expanding opportunities beyond those hubs remains an important long-term objective.
Afghanistan’s Story
Afghanistan represents the most complex case in the women’s game.
Following the political changes of 2021, the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s women’s programme was effectively dissolved, with contracted players displaced and many relocating overseas.
Today, a group of former Afghan internationals continues to train in Australia with support from local cricket organisations and independent initiatives rather than their national board.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s men’s team continues to compete successfully on the international stage, and the Afghanistan Cricket Board remains a Full Member of the ICC.
The situation has prompted ongoing debate over how the governing body should balance exceptional political circumstances with its broader commitment to developing women’s cricket across all Full Member nations.
The ICC has acknowledged the unique challenges surrounding Afghanistan while exploring ways to support displaced women cricketers. Nevertheless, the absence of an active national women’s programme continues to raise wider questions about governance, accountability and the responsibilities attached to Full Membership.
How Pakistan Can Improve in Women’s Cricket?
Australia, England and India have demonstrated that meaningful investment in pathways, coaching and domestic competitions produces sustained international success.
For countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, strengthening grassroots programmes, expanding domestic opportunities and attracting greater commercial support remain essential steps towards closing that gap.
In Pakistan, discussions around a women’s Pakistan Super League have surfaced repeatedly, but commercial interest from broadcasters and sponsors has yet to reach the level required to support a full-scale tournament.
At the global level, the ICC’s future funding and development policies will play an important role in determining whether women’s cricket becomes more competitive across its membership.
Linking financial support to measurable progress in women’s participation and domestic infrastructure could encourage broader investment while recognising the differing circumstances faced by individual boards.
