The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has asked counties to “practice what they preach”.

“Hopefully, we’ll see them practice what they preach,” Mitchell said. “That’s going to be an important part of the next 12 months: actually holding these teams and counties to account. The ECB’s audit and policing that’s going to be very important – and obviously we can play a part in that. are

“Right now, sometimes you have three counties running a specific regional side and sometimes, there’s a lack of accountability, a lack of ownership. The new system will have a lot more of that – which I think is a good thing. . Players. Really feel strongly about equal access to facilities and coaches, and don’t feel like a spare part.”

The PCA and ECB have verbally agreed on a minimum squad size of 15 for the new Tier 1 teams as well as equalizing the minimum wages for women and men cricketers. These commitments will be formalized in the latest version of the County Partnership Agreement (CPA) which will cover 2025-29.

“Right now, you have some female athletes who are basically trying to do two jobs,” Mitchell said. “It’s about us making sure those minimum salaries are at a reasonable level, equal to the men’s minimum salaries. It’s important to enable players to become professionals, and we’ve verbally But it has been agreed. This is a really important step.

“The players understand that the game has come a long way in a relatively short time. They are certainly excited to have a full squad of 15… It has been a challenge in dressing rooms up and down the country to be professional and then pay off. The players who do are not. It’s been a difficult dynamic.

“The players are really excited about taking ownership of Counties. There’s definitely a sense that they want the ‘one club, two team’ mentality that we’ve seen at the Hundred over the last couple of years. There will be some teething problems. , but the overall feeling is that it’s going to be positive for the game, and to push the women’s game forward.”

These “teething issues” include the possibility of player transfers and the signing of new domestic contracts during the summer. “The unknown brings some anxiety,” Mitchell said, “but I think getting a foundation, a long-term contract and a mortgage is something that excites the players as well — and that’s what’s going on in their lives for the next time.” The ability to plan.”

Eight counties will fail in their bids to host Tier 1 teams, but Mitchell has already encouraged them not to give up on investing in women’s cricket. “The tender process has forced counties to really think about how they can properly incorporate women’s sports into their structures…Hopefully, the eight that are unsuccessful will become Tier 2 teams and the above. Equal emphasis will be placed on building foundations below grade.”

The Hundred came up repeatedly in the PCA’s pre-season meetings with players, and Mitchell is confident that potential changes to the competition’s ownership model – which would open up teams to private investment – would benefit female players. will “A lot of the discussion in the media has been centered around the men’s game, but there’s also a lot behind the scenes about the women’s game,” he said.

“Look at the way Hundred has been marketed by the ECB: it’s very much about an equity platform. I don’t think anyone knows exactly what’s going to be sold and how, but certainly But there will be some really important caveats. Around the same investors investing in the men’s and women’s hundred… we’ll make sure that anyone buying into these teams is fully aware of the men’s and women’s game. Kind of committed.”