The Australian Cricketers' Association claims that players receive less than 20% of the revenue generated by the game "rather than the quarter agreed under the last memorandum of understanding with Cricket Australia and have demanded an audit" of an estimated A$400M ($294.5M) "gap" between the governing body's turnover and what is shared with the athletes, according to Chris Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The players' union and CA have suspended negotiations over a new MOU until the new year after meetings this week and are "divided on a range of fronts, principally CA's proposal that the existing percentage-of-revenue pay model be scrapped for all but the top 20 men's international players." The ACA not only wants the revenue model retained for all int'l and domestic players, male and female, but has "called for an improved system that gives the players a piece of other revenue streams, including CA's growing digital arm." In a submission compiled ahead of the MOU talks, the ACA accused CA of a "lack of financial transparency." The submission said, "Contrary to popular belief, male players receive less than 20 percent of TCR with more than 80 percent going to Cricket Australia." The ACA called for a joint audit of the estimated A$400M gap, saying that the "pot of money could be used to help fund improved player welfare, continue to professionalise the women's game and improve the Sheffield Shield and the Women's National Cricket League" (SMH, 12/15).
FULL TIME WORK: In Sydney, Larissa Nicholson wrote many women in the Big Bash League "would love to play cricket full time, top players say, contrary to Cricket Australia's claims that they enjoyed balancing sport with other work." The Australian national women's team members are full-time cricketers and "can earn six-figure salaries when they play several different forms of the game" and the New South Wales team recently signed a new deal which guarantees a minimum wage of A$35,000 ($25,770). But the other state teams "remain semi-professional and for some of the women, the Big Bash League season will be the only time they are paid to play cricket at all." It "leaves the majority of women cricketers balancing sport with other work or study commitments," which Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said "many of the women enjoyed." Women's BBL side Melbourne Stars player Alana King said, "I enjoy my studying, especially my outdoor education units, I get out and about in nature, it's a lot of fun. But if opportunities come for female cricketers to turn professional, I'll do it, I'd be happy to take that opportunity" (SMH, 12/15).
