Recently, Cricket Scotland released the list of male and female cricketers who have been offered professional contracts for 2023–24.
Female cricketers in Scotland have been awarded a professional contract for the first time following an announcement in November 2022. Men and women will continue to receive equal match pay, as they have since 2021.
The most recent list included fourteen male and nine female cricketers who have been offered professional contracts. The contracts will be valid from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. In February and March of 2023, a collection of experts determined which players would receive professional contracts.
Toby Bailey, Interim Head of Performance for Cricket Scotland, stated that the board was delighted to announce the contracts, especially for women’s cricket, and described it as a turning point. In addition, he expressed confidence that nine of Scotland’s female cricketers will be the first to enroll with Cricket Scotland.
“We are ecstatic to announce this year’s contracts, and for women’s cricket in Scotland, this is truly a watershed moment. Bailey stated, “I am ecstatic that nine of our top women’s players have agreed to be the first to sign with Cricket Scotland.”
Given the phenomenal development of women’s cricket around the world, promotion and investment in Scotland are now essential components of the cricketing strategy, he continued. The granting of professional contracts to female cricketers, he added, is a major step toward ensuring that cricket in Scotland is fair and inclusive for all.
“Given the rapid growth of women’s cricket across the globe, promotion and investment in the women’s game in Scotland is now a cornerstone of the organization’s strategy, and today’s announcement is a significant step toward ensuring that cricket in Scotland is fair and inclusive for all,” he added.
Here is a list of the athletes who received professional contracts.
Men’s contracts: Mark Watt, Richie Berrington, Matthew Cross, Ally Evans, Chris Greaves, Jack Jarvis, Michael Leask, Chris McBride, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Liam Naylor, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, and Hamza Tahir.
Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Priyanaz Chatterji, Katherine Fraser, Lorna Jack, Ailsa Lister, Megan McColl, Orla Montgomery, Hannah Rainey, and Ellen Watson were awarded contracts for women.
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