Global Test championship can reduce workload, say players
The Age
Monday November 9, 2009
THE Australian players' union has stepped up its campaign to reduce the amount of cricket by claiming players can have the best of both worlds €” rich financial rewards and a lighter workload €” if the program is changed to incorporate a global Test championship.The Sunday Age reported yesterday that Australia's 25 contracted players would be paid an average of $1 million a year under a new pay deal, and that all state and national players since 2005 had received a share of a $20.3 million windfall because of Cricket Australia's higher-than-expected revenue over the past four years.Captain Ricky Ponting earned the largest bonus payment €” an estimated $1 million €” but as many as 300 current and former players received a slice of the pie.The Australian Cricketers Association, which has blamed Australia's injury epidemic on the relentless international program, said the handsome financial rewards did not weaken its argument."I think it's human nature that anyone would want to earn more money," chief executive Paul Marsh said on the ABC's Offsiders program yesterday. "I don't think that's any different for any one of us sitting here."Why do accountants and lawyers work 80 hours a week in a partnership? Why do footballers change clubs for more money? That's just human nature. Our view is we can get the best of both worlds."We can change the schedule and by doing that we've been strong on the fact that we need more context. We want to see a Test championship and a one-day championship introduced and by doing that we think we can play less cricket, but more meaningful cricket and, I think, possibly drive revenue up with less cricket."The Federation of International Cricketers Associations has presented a model to the International Cricket Council under which Australia would lay six home Tests and six away Tests each calendar year.Marsh also said that while Australians were paid so well they could afford to put their international careers ahead of the lucrative Indian Premier League, this was not the case in other countries, and predicted more players would retire from one or more forms of the game to preserve their bodies and maximise their incomes."We're seeing it already with England, we're seeing it with the West Indies, New Zealand, and . . . there are more players to come. If [Australia's opponents are] weak, and it's getting weaker, then we're going to get to a point where, is it still international sport, playing against second and third-string teams?" he said."Our guys get paid well, easily the best in the world. In the last IPL season, we had no player who plays in all forms of the game playing in the IPL. Despite this misconception that all these players are running off and playing IPL, the fact is your Pontings, your [Michael] Clarkes, your [Mitchell] Johnsons, your [Brad] Haddins didn't play in the IPL last year."But at some point it's just a reality, that's the direction that's going to be taken."
© 2009 The Age
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