County cricketers extend reduced pay

CRICKET: County cricket’s reduced pay deal has been extended until the end of July, as players continue to wait for their season to resume.

An existing agreement between the Professional Cricketers’ Association and the 18 first-class counties covered April and May and has been extended for two more months, with salary reductions capped at 20 per cent and domestic prize money foregone.

That has now been extended for another two months, in line with the England and Wales Cricket Board’s recent announcement that there would be no domestic competition before August 1, though players in the final year of their contracts have been offered granted dispensation.

Any individual who leaves the game in 2020 having not earned a new deal will receive a refund on any salary cuts taken over this period.

The earlier collective bargain included provision for players to accept furlough conditions if offered and 16 counties – all barring Surrey and Lancashire – have since taken up the Goverment scheme.

PCA chairman and Worcestershire batsman Daryl Mitchell said: “Although a great amount of uncertainty remains in domestic cricket, it does appear there is light at the end of the tunnel for players to return at some stage this summer.

“However, with no cricket to be played in June or July, and therefore no revenue to be generated, players have agreed to extend measures to protect the futures of all counties.”