Protracted pay row could put Ashes series in danger
THE Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has warned that arbitration to resolve its pay dispute could drag on for six months, putting the Ashes series in danger this year.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said on Friday that if the players’ pay dispute was not solved by the end of the weekend it would be referred to independent arbitrators.
Sutherland’s ACA counterpart, Alistair Nicholson, believes that will only slow down the process, putting in danger Australia’s forthcoming tours to Bangladesh and India, as well as the home Ashes series.
Nicholson wrote in an e-mail to the players: “Arbitration would bring about a significant delay in resolution as it would take many months, perhaps six to nine, could be very costly – possibly costing hundreds of thousands of dollars which would be better spent in grassroots investment – and involve a multitude of policy and financial questions unique to elite international team sports which the arbitrator would need to consider, and the continued uncertainty through the summer on the revenue share model outcome and future employment of the players.
“Right now, we believe the better investment of our time and resources is continued negotiations with CA which will occur throughout the weekend.
“We also believe mediation is a superior process for cricket should the dispute not be resolved.”
So far, the England and Wales Cricket Board has stayed out of the dispute. ECB chairman Colin Graves was given a personal assurance by CA chairman David Peever that the tour would go ahead, when the pair met last month.
England are due to fly to Australia at the end of October, with the first Ashes test in Brisbane starting on November 23. Before then, Australia have a test tour to Bangladesh and one-day series in India.
If they cannot muster squads for those engagements it would be disastrous for CA, with a whole number of commercial deals at stake.
It is understood the BBC has agreed a deal to cover the Ashes but a formal announcement has been delayed by the pay dispute.
About 300 professional cricketers in Australia are now out of contract although rolling deals have been proposed over the last week that would at least potentially allow the tour to Bangladesh next month to go ahead.
“At this stage, we aren’t going to speculate on details of arbitration, other than to reiterate players would be recontracted at the commencement of arbitration and remain contracted until the final MOU [memorandum of understanding] can be signed,” a CA spokesperson said.
“Our priority remains focused on the current intensive period of negotiation.”
The row revolves around the revenue share model that has been in place between the players and board for two decades.
The board believes it has to safeguard the future of the game at grassroots level and can no longer afford to have a set percentage ending in the pockets of players.
The union says it is not asking for any increase, just the status quo as CA prepares to negotiate a rights deal for the Big Bash and international cricket.