NZC annual contracts for 10 women players

Ten of New Zealand's top women cricketers will be given annual contracts following a Memorandum of Understanding between NZC and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA). The ten players will be named on Wednesday by coach Hamish Barton.

Previously, they had been given assembly fees when training and playing for the national side. Four players had been awarded professional contracts last year.

The contracts have been structured in a manner similar to the men's senior team, with the top 10 players receiving an annual retainer based on a ranking process involving T20 and ODI cricket. The contract retainers are tiered between $10,000 to $12,000 per annum and also provide for daily assembly fees for all players selected for training camps and international tours. Players outside the top-ten bracket will receive a casual playing contract when they are selected in the team.

Lindsay Crocker, NZC's head of cricket, said the focus of the contract system was on keeping the top women cricketers prepared for international cricket even in between series.

"The contract system is designed to keep New Zealand's best women's players in the game for longer," Crocker said. "It provides a training structure between tours so our leading players can compete at international level while still maintaining full-time employment outside cricket."

NZCPA player services' manager Henry Moore said the contract system sought to find a balance between a player's professional and personal commitments, including academic ones, and her time within the cricket team. According to Moore, a leading cricketer could, depending on her selection, earn nearly $25,000 a year, while having the opportunity to work or study.

"One of the key features of the MoU is that players who receive annual retainer contracts will be able to balance work and study commitments with their White Ferns obligations, as they will not be required to train or practice during normal business hours when not assembled with the team," Moore said.