Wellington: New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Tuesday announced a ground-breaking agreement, which will see the country’s professional women’s and men’s cricketers receive the same pay for the same work on the same day.

The five-year landmark agreement struck between NZC, the six Major Associations, and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA), will see the White Ferns and domestic women’s players receiving the same match fees as the men across all their formats and competitions.

This is a first deal in which the men’s and women’s professional environments have been combined in one agreement, said NZC in a statement.

NZC, the NZCPA and the six Major Associations worked towards a pay equity framework with the advice of Australian gender pay expert Yolanda Beattie, whose expertise was sought by NZCPA.

The improved pay and conditions are part of an agreement calculated on the country’s men’s and women’s professional players receiving 29.75 per cent of all NZC forecast revenue over five years (NZD 349m), expected to amount to NZD 104m.