Katherine Brunt, the longest-serving member of the England women's squad, has warned her teammates not to look down on the huge progress made by her game, as a gender pay row appeared to overshadow the Hundred's standalone opening fix on Wednesday. had threatened.
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, many junior members of the Hundred's eight city-based teams are at risk of missing out on regular income for the duration of the tournament, due to the teams' increased restrictions in the COVID-safe environment. .
With salaries for the women's sport starting at £3,600, compared to the minimum men's pay bracket of £24,000, this means that some participants may need to choose between tournaments or their current jobs. is.
However, Brunt - who made her Test debut in 2004 at the age of 19, & a decade later became the ECB's first centrally contracted women's player - insisted that women need to be mindful of the bigger picture. That the struggle for equality was never a smooth process, but that his playing prospects were better now than at any time in his career.
"I used to get paid to play," Brunt said. "I only used to get expenses for a good eight years of my international career. So when you look at it from that point of view, more women are paid in cricket than ever before, we are doing very well. We are doing well. are very good.
"Wages are nothing to turn your nose up at," she said. "They're good. Yes, they can definitely get better. And there's a gap in that. It happens all the time in every different area, but it's definitely going to get better. It's not going the other way, it's going to get better." It's only going to go up."
A record 41 female players in the English game now hold professional contracts, & while Brunt said he sympathizes with players who are not yet financially secure within cricket, he also acknowledged the responsibility of the Hundred's female competitors. is. Billing that this competition now offers them, & sets out to prove their worth "time & time & time again".
"I feel for those girls but it's a good chunk of change for a month's work they've never seen before," she said. "You only dream about it, to be honest, so you have to look at it from that angle as well.
"We've been fighting for equality for hundreds of years," Brunt said. "These things don't happen overnight. And as long as the conversation goes on, that's all you can ask for. It's when you keep quiet & say nothing that things don't move forward, so I guess That it's great girls are speaking up & they are brave enough to do so but, equally, sometimes the positive message gets lost in that.
"Even though all the other things that are flying around, the important thing is that we are being paid. Yes, we are far from men, but that's because men bring in more crowds, they bring in more money. They bring in more press around the world. You can't get guys like Andre Russell & Rashid Khan to play here unless you make it worth their time.
“But once we start playing these games, & we get in the bag this year, & we show that we can play these games with men, they will invest even more in us. But We have to prove this time & time again, but don't forget the positive message that we are all getting paid for once, & more than ever.
"I'm only going to bang about the positives because I'm here to play the Hundred & get on with it, & do the best I can for my team."
Brunt's opening match for the Trent Rockets comes on Saturday when they take on the Southern Braves at Trent Bridge, a venue she has never played in her two-decade career. While he conceded somewhat about bowling at a venue where England and Pakistan scored 433 runs between them in the men's T20Is last week, he also admitted that the men's team had the same billing. The chance to share would fill him with pride.
"It's going to be great," Brunt said. "It's my first time at Trent Bridge, which is incredible, but it's a great ground, with beautiful facilities. The boys are with us at the same time. I see Rush [Rashid Khan] bowling now, And it gives you the feeling that you are part of something bigger - part of a team, not just an extra part, or a sidepiece. You are 'it'. You are the people to watch and entertain. People are coming for it. And it's fantastic, we're all really excited."
However, he added a note of caution to this anticipation, warning that the complexities of tournament construction, as well as the fast-paced nature of many new players to the team, meant that standards in the opening round may need to be waived. needed.
"We really don't want to mess up, but it's going to be carnage," Brunt said. "People have to be patient. We'll get better, I promise you, but at this point, tomorrow is the first game and today I still have four names to learn. It's a quick turnaround, but we'll get there."