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Australian cricket pay dispute comes to an end as ACA and CA agree on new deal

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 8/3/2017 1:08:11 PM

A new pay deal has been reached between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association. Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association held a joint press conference on Thursday to announce an agreement had been reached to finally end the bitter ongoing pay-dispute. With this, the long running doubt looming over the future of Australian cricket, especially the Ashes, comes to an end. CA CEO James Sutherland said that both the parties had reached an in-principle agreement on “the core issues” of the deal.
Noticeably, the agreement will apply to all male and female players for the first time in Australian cricket, and it will also bring in the biggest pay rise in the history of women’s sport in Australia. As per the new revenue sharing model, the players will share up to 30 per cent of agreed revenue, made up of 27.5 per cent of forecast revenue streams and a 2.5 per cent performance pool. This is estimated to be worth up to $500 million over the period of the next five years.
“It’s a gender equity pay model, with the biggest pay rise in the history of women’s sport in Australia,” ACA, CEO, Alistair Nicholson said.
However, Australia CEO James Sutherland said the process hasn’t been easy, and that both parties regret the acrimonious tone of the dispute.
“This process hasn’t been easy and history will judge whether it was all worth it in the end. Neither side has got everything that it wanted out of these negotiations but it should not be approached with a winner take all mindset. We have a finally reached a good compromise, one that we can live with and is good for Australian cricket.”, he said and added, “The debate has been difficult. Relationships within the game have been tested and it has turned off some fans. Both parties regret that but with this agreement, we are restoring certainty and focus must be back on cricket.”
Speaking of the future, Sutherland said, “We have a huge summer of cricket to look forward to including the Ashes.I am confident by the time te first ball is bowled this summer all of this will be behind us. There is a great anticipation of the Ashes. In the meantime i am pleased to announce that the Bangladesh tour will be proceeding with a pre-tour camp in Darwin.”
Meanwhile, Alistair Nicholson, ACA Ceo also stated that Australian cricketers will receive 27.5% of cricket revenue. Addressing the media, he said, “The executive of the ACA recommneds Australia’s male and female cricketers to accept the renewed MOU secured under an in principle heads of agreement between CA and the ACA. Players will now consider this recommendation into this agreement and we recommend that it will be supported and a player vote will be conducted in the next 24 hours to follow the path-precedent. We expect that to come back positive.”
Stating that the ACA never wanted to destroy the revenue model Nicholson said that they wanted to remodel it. “It is a very different revenue sharing model as compared to the earlier one.”, he said. For the development of the game at the grassroot level a sum of $25 million will be allocated, Nicholson concluded.