After national women’s cricket team created history clinching the Asia Cup T20 Championship in Malaysia, a long-neglected question over the discrimination of salaries between the two national cricket teams – men and women – has been raised from different strata of society.

It is being argued that the men’s team failed to clinch Asia Cup championship even after reaching the final two times; whereas the women’s team completed the job reaching final for the first time and beating six-time champion India.

Why then, people are asking, the huge discrimination in salaries and rewards? Where is the ‘equal rights’?

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is one of the richest boards in Asia. They provide financial assistance to several federations besides cricket. But they hesitate to pay sufficient salary to female cricketers.

BCB has declared Tk 20 million reward for the Asia Cup winning team. Each player will get Tk 1 million which is very little comparing to the reward a male player gets even by lesser achievements.

Last year, the male team was rewarded Tk 10 million after they drew a test, a one-day and a T20 series in Sri Lanka. They received Tk 60 million after beating Australia at home; and in last March, they were rewarded Tk 10 million for reaching the final of Nidhas Trophy in Sri Lanka.

On the other hand, a huge discrimination prevail in salaries as well as in match fees also. Salary of a male player increases regularly, but not female players’. BCB does not consider even annual increase for women’s cricket team.

Last year, a female player got Tk 600 only as match fee, playing in national league, while a male player got Tk 30,000.

A male player gets Tk 100 to Tk 400 thousand salary whereas a female gets Tk 10 to Tk 30 thousand only. The discrimination is same in case of international matches also where a female player gets Tk 8,000 match fees against the male player’s Tk 200,000.

In reply to a query over the huge discrimination of salaries, a BCB o0fficial, on condition of anonymity, told the Bangla Tribune: “It is not easy to drive away this discrimination. I will take time. They are now playing in local league also besides the international matches. We hope to provide all kinds of facility in near future.”

Overcoming many a hurdles, the women’s team has gifted Bangladesh with Asia Cup Championship. Board officials also are realising that women are getting less comparing to their male counterparts.

Now the question remains, will the salary of Salma and Co. increase after the historic victory in Malaysia?