Players reject Cricket Australia pay offer

ESPNCricinfo: The pay dispute between Cricket Australia and its players is set to continue after the Australian Cricketers’ Association rejected CA’s latest pay proposal. At the core of the ACA’s opposition is CA’s desire to scrap the revenue-sharing model that for nearly 20 years has linked player payments to the amount of income generated by the game.

This, in the words of the ACA, would end a partnership “that allows players to share in the ups and downs of the games and its revenue, and allows for fluctuations in media rights cycles”. CA has argued that the revenue-sharing system has served its original purpose of making cricketers some of the highest-paid sportspeople in the country.

However, the ACA on Friday outlined a series of concerns with CA’s latest proposal, including that it “disrespects the value of domestic cricketers and the role they play in Australian cricket”. The ACA also argued that the proposal would create inequity within playing groups by ensuring that some players – male international players – benefited from a revenue share, but not others.

The ACA added that the proposal “denies female cricketers the opportunity to share in the game’s revenue”, though it acknowledged that CA’s response for gender equity had largely been otherwise positive.

“The ACA also expresses frustration that what should be a relatively simple and good faith negotiation has not proceeded in this way,” the ACA said in a statement on Friday. “The fact that CA has, despite various attempts to do so, produced no logical reason to break the successful partnership model and longstanding relationship with players, leaves the players unclear as to CA’s objectives.”

The ACA has offered its own proposal for what it calls a “modernised” revenue-sharing model, with a 55% share for CA, a 22.5% share for grassroots cricket, and a 22.5% share for male and female players. The deadline for a resolution to the ongoing negotiations is June 30, when current player contracts expire.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said he was disappointed with the ACA’s decision to reject the tabled offer, but he remained confident of achieving a resolution by the end of June.

“They appear to have spent nearly six weeks talking with everyone but the organisation that can provide them with the right information, and with whom they need to conclude an agreement on behalf of their members,” Sutherland said. “They will find, when they sit down with us and understand the detail, that this really is a ground-breaking offer and a fair deal for all players.

“In particular, it offers higher guaranteed payments at a time of uncertainty, while continuing to provide a share of cricket’s financial surpluses to players at the pinnacle of the game. It also allows CA to address the disparity between pay for men and women and the urgent need to invest more in the grassroots of the game, particularly junior cricket. We make no apology for investing in priorities that will secure cricket’s sustainable future.

“I must make it clear that the analysis presented by the ACA today contains many errors. We have offered to provide them with realistic financial scenarios, an opportunity they have not taken up. I also reject any suggestion that we would hide money from the players. They receive full audited accounts, and we have always been fair and honest with our players.

“We understand their commitment to the existing model, but the fact is that the world has changed, and it needs to be updated to take that into account. It has to include women, it has to support our juniors and community cricket clubs, and it has to provide greater financial certainty for all players, at every level.’’