Cricket spat festering
CSA MOVE: PLAYERS QUESTION WHY RELATIONSHIP NEEDS TO BE CHANGED
Saca hopeful parties can meet next week to start negotiations.
Fears are growing among South Africa’s professional cricketers that Cricket South Africa (CSA) are looking to depart from their existing relationship with the players’ union, the South African Cricketers’ Association (Saca), and the memorandum of understanding (MoU) that has served both parties so well for the last 15 years.
CSA issued a statement this week saying they regarded finalising the negotiations around the new MoU that will replace the existing one that expires on April 30 “a matter of urgency”, but in the same breath said their “intention” was to have a new agreement in place by July.
Saca then issued a statement expressing their surprise and disappointment because CSA had not consulted them first and, in fact, negotiations on the key issues had not yet even started.
The delay in holding meaningful talks has meant great uncertainty for the players, according to two senior franchise players, both with more than 10 years of first-class cricket behind them, who spoke to Saturday Citizen on condition of anonymity yesterday.
“As long as I’ve played franchise cricket the contract negotiations are concluded by the last game of the season and we all say our goodbyes to those moving on and move forward. But this year is very different and we can’t negotiate with our franchises because how much money is in the pot from CSA is all still up in the air. I’m not sure how the franchises are putting their squads together.
“The players are all in so many different boats, which is why the MoU was so good, it provided a framework for all the different situations the players are in, it meant they knew exactly where they stood. But now we are all feeling uncertainty, care should be taken of the players, we believe we are an asset to CSA, but right now we don’t feel looked after.
“The relationship between Saca and CSA has always been good, there’s supposed to be a bit of tension between the two, but this now seems very different. Communication has not been accurate and now the heat is obviously on,” one player said.
“It’s disappointing because it’s all meant to be finalised by the end of February but CSA have given themselves four extra months! How does that equate to a matter of urgency? There’s always been a good relationship between CSA and Saca, so why do they need to clarify that relationship now?
“Why try and change that relationship now? The players are CSA’s biggest asset but maybe they don’t see it that way.” another player said.
Tony Irish, Saca’s chief executive, said the intentions of CSA were still a mystery to him.
“We’ve had no response yet to our statement but I am hopeful we will be meeting early next week. The matter has been delayed by CSA’s approach to the issue and I’m unsure whether they want to significantly alter the MoU because we haven’t even started negotiation of the key issues.
“We have had a very constructive relationship with CSA for over 15 years so I’m not sure why this needs to happen right now. Nevertheless we are happy to discuss this with them and can than decide Saca’s position.
“However, none of this should be a reason for a delay in the MoU and player contracts,” Irish said from India where he is attending Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations meetings.