Players accept CA’s scenario for revenue

ALMOST $700 million has been taken off the table in cricket’s pay war as robust negotiations inch towards a summer-saving resolution.

Despite the changing financial landscape, the players could share in a pay rise of up to $120 million over the next five years — taking the payment pool to about $500 million — if Cricket Australia’s offer is given the green light.

The big hike, which includes payments to female cricketers for the first time, is well short of the $200 million bump players were originally after.

But as the potential for a boycott of the Bangladesh Test tour looms, which would come at a financial cost to CA, the Australian Cricketers Association has conceded its original forecast revenues are unlikely to be reached.

As part of the ACA’s “peace plan”, which it believes could end the nine-month impasse, the union conceded it would accept CA’s “lower end” revenue scenarios and shape all discussions about the players’ share around the governing body’s financial predictions.

The union had previously based its wage push on independent forecasts that suggested CA could earn up to $2.6 billion over the next five years. And that was a “midrange” prediction, with the possibility it could go even higher. Under that circumstance, the players called for a $595 million payment pool — $200 million more than was paid out under the last deal — with the same amount allocated to grassroots cricket.

But amid expectations the combined worth of TV deals for the Big Bash and international cricket could be $200 million less than hoped for, CA’s revenue prediction for the next five years is around $1.86 billion. The ACA is now believed to be pushing for up to 30 per cent of that for the players — around $558 million over five years.

In its original pitch to the players in March, CA offered immediate salary increases for female players to as much as $179,000 a year, and the average international player’s income would rise to $1.45 million by 2021-22.

It is understood those figures remain “in the ballpark”.