Australia’s new women’s domestic T20 competition will now follow the structure of the eight WBBL clubs, along with a team from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), rather than representing state teams. This change came about after Victoria and New South Wales voiced concerns about the initial state-based format.
Originally, the tournament aimed to compensate for the shortened WBBL season, which now consists of 40 games. However, Victoria and New South Wales, which each contribute two teams to the WBBL, were worried that the state-based model might disadvantage some of their players on the fringe.
As a result of discussions between the states and Cricket Australia (CA), the new format will include eight teams aligned with the WBBL franchises, plus a team from the ACT, which competes in the WNCL one-day tournament. The competition will occur before the WBBL season, with each team playing four matches and the top four advancing to the semi-finals.
Since the tournament coincides with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, Australian players will not participate, creating opportunities for domestic players. Overseas players are also not expected to play significant roles.
One challenge is managing the participation of ACT players who are contracted to WBBL clubs, such as key player Katie Mack, who represents the Adelaide Strikers.
As part of CA’s Women’s and Girls Action Plan, the women’s domestic cricket structure was revised with the intention of improving player routes and bolstering the success of national teams. However, the adjustments were necessary due to the concerns raised by Victoria and New South Wales.
The CEO of Cricket NSW, Lee Germon, claims that the new competition will help teams like the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder by developing players for the national squad and supporting their success in the WBBL.
The confirmation of state contracts was also impacted by the postponement of the competition structure finalization because of the unpredictability..
Despite the changes, the average salary for female domestic players in the upcoming season will increase to AU3,322, while the WBBL salary cap remains unchanged, ensuring that player payments are not reduced.
