Cricketers say no to ‘ disrespectful’ pay offer
AUSTRALIAN Cricketers have rejected a pay offer they believe would create greater inequality between players.
Cricket Australia last month tabled a deal for total player payments of $ 419 million over five years which would do away with the two- decade- old fixed revenuesharing model.
CA remains confident a deal will be done before the June 30 deadline, saying their offer would lift guaranteed payments for all players. But a proposal to only give international male players a chance to share in surplus revenue has proved a sticking point.
The Australian Cricketers Association has described the move as disrespectful to domestic players and short- changing women in the game.
“CA’s proposal denies female cricketers the opportunity to share in the game’s revenue,” the players’ union said in a statement yesterday.
“( It) disrespects the value of domestic cricketers and the role they play in Australian cricket ( and) creates inequity among the playing groups. It is unfair for CA to create a situation, via its offer, that some players playing in a domestic team enjoy revenue share and others do not.”
The ACA has instead proposed an updated fixed revenue model which would give CA a 55 per cent share for running the game and 22.5 per cent each for players and grassroots cricket.
Under their offer, CA claims the average salary for a Southern Stars player was set to jump from $ 79,000 to $ 179,000, with the average for domestic female players to rocket from $ 22,000 to $ 52,000.
The governing body claimed the average income for international male players, inclusive of match fees and performance bonuses, would be $ 1.45 million by 2021- 22 under the deal. That is an increase of 25 per cent on 2016- 17.
Chief executive James Sutherland criticised the ACA for a lack of engagement during negotiations.
“They will find, when they sit down with us and understand the detail, that this really is a groundbreaking offer and a fair deal for all players,” Sutherland said.
“In particular, it offers higher guaranteed payments at a time of uncertainty, while continuing to provide a share of cricket’s financial surpluses to players at the pinnacle of the game.” He said the pay offer had gender equality at its heart.
“It will see our female cricketers, at both international and domestic levels, receive pay increases of more than 150 per cent from July 1, and enable all of them to pursue a professional sporting career.”
The ACA has previously described the revenue- sharing model as a bedrock for Australian cricket growth.