"Last time England's head coach, Charlotte Edwards, flew to India for a 50-over World Cup, back during her playing days in 2013, she packed a suitcase full of ketchup. It was a different world: the teams flew economy, no side in the world had professional contracts, and there was no team dietitian to raise an eyebrow at Edwards's condiment of choice."
"The 2025 World Cup, which begins on Tuesday in Guwahati and concludes with the final on 2 November, might as well be taking place on a different planet. The dizzying changes in women's cricket over the past 12 years are perhaps best summed up by the growth in tournament prize money. In 2013, it totalled $200,000; this time, it amounts to $13.88m."
"The eagle-eyed will spot that this is actually more than the $10m total prize pot for the most recent 50-over men's World Cup a big statement by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as to the value of the women's game in the current market. Cricket World Cup tournaments in India are always a big event. This one, coming in the wake of the launch of the successful India Women's Premier League in 2023,"
Since 2013 women's cricket has professionalized dramatically: teams now have contracts, expanded staff and much higher commercial value. The 2025 World Cup in India offers $13.88m in prize money, exceeding the $10m pot from the recent men's 50-over tournament, signaling increased market value. The India Women's Premier League's 2023 launch has boosted the sport domestically. Security-driven schedule changes by the ICC have relocated key matches and moved all of Pakistan's fixtures to Sri Lanka amid India–Pakistan political tensions. Late ticket sales and weaker promotion compared with the T20 World Cup have complicated planning and travel for fans.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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