Australian Cricketers Association has slammed double standard in conditions

Slams how female players have to prove they are pregnant in leaked submission

Women cricketers are also denied maternity leave, core workplace entitlement

They are treated worse than Cricket Australia's female administration staff

Test captain Steve Smith has endorsed the campaign for gender pay equality

Female cricket players have to prove they are not pregnant before they can sign a professional contract.

Women on Australia's cricket team are also denied maternity leave while men are allowed to fly home for the birth of their children.

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The Australian Cricketers Association has slammed the sexist double standard, with Test captain Steve Smith signing a campaign for gender equality in cricket.

Allan Border Medal winner Ellyse Perry (pictured) is an example of a talent female player who can't sign a multi-year contract

'Our female members find it outdated at best and rather condescending that they can only sign one-year contracts, making life planning very difficult while men can sign multi-year contracts,' it said in a pay submission published in The Australian.

It also criticised the practice of making women players prove they are not pregnant, describing it as discrimination that is 'contrary to acceptable employer behaviour in any other Australian workplace'.

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Their leaked submission on collective bargaining for female players also criticised Cricket Australia for denying female cricket players maternity leave even thought this entitlement is given to women who work in administrative roles, who get four to 12 weeks of paid leave.

Women on the field are continuing to be discriminated against despite the popularity of the The Women's Big Bash League, which is setting television ratings records.

Cricketer Meg Lanning (pictured) has signed the Australian Cricketers Association pay submission call on male and female players to have one agreement

Talent players Meg Lanning (pictured left) and Ellyse Perry are denied access to maternity leave even though Cricket Australia gives to entitlement to female office staff

Cricket Australia has actually hailed last weekend's opening event, broadcast on Network Ten, as a ratings hit.

'The bumper opening weekend of the Rebel Women's Big Bash League in Sydney has proved to be enormous success with record ratings, crowd numbers and interest among fans,' it said.

Women are also paid far less than their male counterparts, receiving $40,000 a year with superannuation while men are paid a minimum of $270,000 before super entitlements.

Australian women's cricketers Meg Lanning and Alex Blackwell have signed the Australian Cricketers Association proposal for male and female players to have one agreement to create 'meaningful equality of opportunity regardless of gender'.

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Australian Test captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner have also signed the submission to do away from gender discrimination, describing it as 'a better deal for women cricketers.

Australian Test captain Steve Smith (pictured) has signed a submission calling for gender equality in cricket

Ellyse Perry (pictured bowling for the Sixers) is instrumental to the success of the Women's Big Bash League which has had record ratings