Share

Australia cricket strike looms

Sydney - Cricket Australia and the players' union were still "further apart" than desired in negotiations over performance-related pay, with the threat of strikes looming, CA chief James Sutherland said on Friday.

The current pay deal expires on June 30, and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) has not ruled out strike action, meaning Australia's participation in the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in September and this month's one-day international tour of England are both under threat.

Sutherland said the cricket board and the ACA were "further apart than we would like to be" but defended proposals for a new performance-based pay system, which he says will leave players better off.

"We have put a very substantial offer on the table, it's in the vicinity of $80 million more over a five-year period than what we paid in the preceding five-year period," Sutherland said.

"$80m is a lot of money and that is based on our conservative revenue projections.

"If we go half way towards meeting our more optimistic ambitions with revenue growth, that increase in player payments will be even more significant than $Aus80 million."

ACA chief Paul Marsh has said the negotiations over the new five-year deal have reached a stalemate and although he did not rule out strike action he insisted it would be "an absolute last resort".

Players currently get 26 percent of cricket revenue.

Asked about the players union's resistance, Sutherland said he was "surprised and a little bit disappointed" and that a move to a performance-based pay system was logical.

"The focus is very much about performance and accountability for performance," Sutherland said.

"There is also a sense of accountability with this that the public would expect - that the players wouldn't get the same amount of money for losing (a series) 4-0 as they would winning 4-0.

"There is an argument that there is already a performance-based culture and expectation - the players have to perform to get their contract, they have to perform to get an increase in the value of their contract.

"But there is also an element of relative performance against the rest of the world, against the teams that you play against.

"And we believe that Australian players should be paid more for winning games against other teams, they should be paid more for being higher-ranked against other teams."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE