Row is brewing over cricketers’ salary deal
SOUTH AFRICAN cricket may be on the cusp of a time bomb after the South African Cricketers Association stressed that the lack of a new Memorandum of Understanding has “created an environment of uncertainty for players” relating to their new contracts.
SACA – the players’ union that represents South Africa’s 230 professional cricketers – are particularly upset with the game’s governing body in the country, Cricket South Africa, for releasing a statement on Wednesday saying that negotiations are currently under way between CSA and SACA over the proposed new MOU.
The current MOU, which regulates critical matters relating to professional cricketers, including the contracts of national and franchise players, expires on April 30.
This leaves precious little time to conclude a new deal, potentially rendering the 230 players unemployed.
“The suggestion that there have actually been negotiations conducted by SACA officials with CSA on the MOU to date is also not correct. Negotiations on the key elements have yet to start,” SACA chief executive Tony Irish said in a strongly-worded statement yesterday.
“SACA has been doing everything possible from its side for approximately three months to engage with CSA on the MOU and to deal with the key elements to enable player contracts to be finalised well (before) 30th April 2018, being the date on which the majority of player contracts end.
“In past MOU’s the key elements have always been agreed by the end of February at the latest to ensure a proper player contracting process can take place well in advance of expiry dates. Unfortunately our attempts to date have been met with very little response from CSA and much of our correspondence has gone unanswered.”
CSA acting chief executive Thabang Moroe said earlier this week that “there are some changes (to the MOU) but the majority will remain the same” and CSA also outlined its plans to conclude a new MOU with SACA “as a matter of urgency” in a statement on Wednesday.
This has further incensed SACA and Irish. “The suggested plans have caused consternation amongst players and they require a response from SACA.
“The indication of further possible delays and the unworkability of certain (proposals) are particular matters of concern to us.
“We are both surprised and disappointed that CSA has seen fit to make a public statement announcing plans relating to the MOU without giving us any proper opportunity to respond to, or to deal with, these first”, said Irish.
“Although CSA now acknowledges in its media statement that concluding the MOU has become a matter of urgency it goes on to suggest that a new agreement may only be finalised in July. We do not understand why such a long further delay may be necessary. We believe that the new MOU is likely to be substantially similar to the existing one in most respects.
“Whilst SACA does not have an issue with clarifying the relationship between it and CSA we urge CSA to prioritise finalising the key elements of the MOU so that there is a greater degree of certainty and security for players. Our players deserve that,” added Irish.
The SACA chief was particularly perturbed about the lack of movement from CSA because of current market forces that are seeing a growing number of professional cricketers turn down contracts with their national or domestic franchises in favour of becoming “freelance cricketers” playing in lucrative T20 leagues around the world.
“We have now reached a point where many of our players could be out of contract in less than two weeks.
“The effect of this runs across the player group from senior players who play for the Proteas to young players seeking to make their way in franchise cricket,” Irish said.
“The delays have created an environment of uncertainty for players, and also for franchises who wish to secure their players. This comes at a time when South African cricket needs to do whatever it can to retain its players in the face of competing opportunities afforded to players in the emerging T20 leagues market and also in the UK.”