Australia women players to get bonus

Australia's women cricketers will receive an A$10,000 bonus each for winning the World Twenty20 and the World Cup, Cricket Australia announced on International Women's Day. The board will also renew the contract of national coach and former fast bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick.

"Our players make many sacrifices to represent Australia as semi-professional cricketers, and their performances are resulting in fans and media sitting up and taking notice of women's cricket," Wally Edwards, the CA chairman, said.

"Hopefully, their consistently excellent and entertaining performances will see women's cricket one day attracting commercial support from telecasters and sponsors, that will see the game capable of supporting full-time professional female cricketers."

The bonus will be paid to all members of both squads which represented Australia in either tournament. Australia beat England in the final of the World Twenty20 in Colombo in October 2012. They followed it up by defeating West Indies in the final of the World Cup in Mumbai in February.

CA hosted the players at a celebration dinner in Melbourne where all rounder Lisa Sthalekar, who recently retired after 12 years of international cricket, was honoured.

Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in a message: "You are not just the world number one in all three formats of the game. You are one of the most successful sporting teams to ever wear the green and gold."