Highest paid player from each of the top 5 countries

The Gentleman's Game has seen a huge influx of money, brought about mainly by the introduction of various T20 leagues around the world, most notably the IPL. With the huge amounts of money on offer, cricket boards have had to revise their wage structures and offer much more lucrative contracts to their players.

This is a list of the highest earning player from each of the top 5 cricket playing nations. The figures are earnings solely from international matches, and do not take into account player earnings from T20 leagues and other domestic engagements or endorsements.

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#5 Kane Williamson, New Zealand - $0.25 million

The New Zealander pockets a quarter of a million dollars yearly

Kane Williamson earned $205,266 for 2016-17, with match fees at $8495 per Test, $3682 per one-day international and $2407 for a T20 international. He is the highest player in New Zealand Cricket's contract list and is slated for a 2.5% increase in his annual retainer.

However, money is not a motivator for Williamson. He had no hesitation in parting with his match fees for the entire ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE last year. He donated thousands of dollars to the families of the Peshawar school attack victims, showing his philanthropic nature.

#4 Faf du Plessis, South Africa - $0.44 million

The Proteas batsman is South Africa's highest earner

When Faf du Plessis was 21, he was offered a Kolpak deal by Nottinghamshire, with a condition that he would have to play for England if he accepted the offer. His dream to play for South Africa compelled him to reject the offer and he is now reaping the rewards of that decision.

He is centrally contracted by the South African Cricket Board and earns close to $0.44 million per year playing for his country.

#3 Virat Kohli, India - $1 million

Kohli is the richest cricketer when endorsements are taken into account

The BCCI's top-grade contract is worth $311,745. However, the total pay a player gets is a combination of his contract money and a percentage of the BCCI's gross revenue, calculated on the number of matches he has played in one calendar year.

Indian captain Virat Kohli, who has a Grade A contract, earned his retainer plus his share from the 13% gross revenue, taking it to a total of $1 million from international matches this year. Although Kohli is ranked 3rd on this list, his endorsements and IPL contract make him the richest cricketer.

#2 Joe Root, England - $1.38 million

The English captain deservedly earns the big bucks

The England and Wales Cricket Board has a broadcasting contract worth £1.1 billion from 2020-2024. This allows them to splash the cash on their top players. Test contracts are worth as much as £700,000 for the players on the highest grade with match fees of £12,000 per Test and £5,000 per ODI.

Joe Root earns close to $1,38 million per year from his international commitments and his earnings are only going to increase in the coming years. With further opportunities to get lucrative contracts from domestic T20 leagues, Root could well pass the $5 million mark next year in total earnings.

#1 Steve Smith, Australia - $1.47 million

Steve Smith is the highest paid captain

The Australian cricket board pays $12,339 for home Test matches and $17,225 for away matches to their players. With match fees of $5484 for ODIs and $3919 for T20Is, Steve Smith earned $1.47 million this year, easily making him the highest paid player in the world.

However, when endorsements and earnings from domestic T20 leagues are included, the Aussie skipper drops down the list.