Women’s cricket has reached a point where continued investment rather than short-term success will shape its future, according to Richard Gould, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chief Executive Officer insisting the governing body will continue expanding the professional game after a period of rapid growth.
Speaking to Sky Sports on the sidelines of day three of the England Women-India Women Test at Lord’s, Gould pointed to the growing audiences, stronger commercial backing and expanding professional pathway as evidence that the women’s game is entering a new era.
Investment remains central to ECB strategy
Reflecting on the momentum generated by women’s cricket in England, Gould said: “So proud. I mean, literally, this time last we: full house, watching a World Cup, quarter of a million people have come through the gates. Now 30,000 here for this game. MCC have done an amazing job. We had a properly global competition, and I think women’s cricket is a moving force now, and nothing will get in its way.”
The comments came shortly after a record-breaking ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales, which attracted unprecedented attendances, including a sold-out final at Lord’s between England and Australia. Gould also highlighted the crowd of around 30,000 at the England Women-India Women Test as another sign that interest in the women’s game continues to strengthen.
Professional game continues to expand
Gould said the ECB’s priority is to keep building on that momentum through sustained financial backing, wider exposure and a stronger domestic structure rather than slowing investment after recent successes.
He added: “We keep the level investment, and we keep growing it, in terms of exposure, through our broadcast partners, through investments. We just keep moving it forward. Back in 2017, we had 16 professional women’s cricketers. We’ve now got 160. I’ve just come back from an ICC meeting in Edinburgh. Every single country is looking at the system that we’ve now got in place, with county cricket, through the tier one, tier, two, tier, three teams,The Hundred, and our international setup. We’re going to be relentless, and we’re gonna keep going with women’s cricket, because it’s the future.”
England’s domestic women’s structure has undergone significant expansion in recent years, with the county pathway now operating across Tier One, Tier Two and Tier Three alongside The Hundred and the international programme. The ECB has also continued increasing investment in elite women’s cricket, with The Hundred’s women’s salary cap doubling to £880,000 per team for the 2026 season following private investment into the competition.
The inaugural women’s player auction also underlined the commercial progress of the domestic game, with record contracts awarded and salary levels rising to figures comparable with those available in the Women’s Premier League, further reflecting the increasing value being placed on elite women’s cricket.
Leadership praised as momentum builds
Gould also credited the figures who have helped shape the women’s game in England over recent years.
He said: “Heather and Clare Connor, Beth Barrett Wild, we’ve got, we’ve been blessed with an amazing group of leaders.”
With growing attendances, expanding professional opportunities and increased commercial investment across the domestic game, Gould indicated that the ECB intends to continue accelerating the development of women’s cricket as more cricket boards study England’s model for growing the sport.
