Former Australian stars call for pay talks to move forward

The Australian Test stars, who were on the front line of the 1997 dispute where the Association delivered a landmark pay deal for those who followed have counseled current players against making the existing revenue-sharing model a non-negotiable in the ongoing stand-off with Cricket Australia.

Both sides are in a stalemate over the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding, which is due to take effect from July 1, acknowledging it is disparate views on the manner in which CA’s revenue is shared with players that have prevented talks from progressing.

The Australian board is planning to modify the model, where share up to $20 million of surplus income with men’s and women’s international representative’s capping payments made to domestic players to enable increased investment in grassroots strategies and programs.

Former Australian vice-captain and legendary wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist was a part of the team when the MOU forged against the threat of the players 20 years ago. He understands the unity shown by the current crop of Australian stars as well as the boards’ decision to use some of the revenue to flush it into the grass-root level helping more players to emerge.

“From what I’ve been led to believe, the ACA are saying straight out, ‘We are not going to negotiate on anything until (CA) say we are definitely having the same revenue-sharing model that’s happened for 20 years’,” Gilchrist told Channel Ten’s ‘The Project’ last night.

“I suspect that might be a little bit blinkered that view, so hopefully they are able to sit down and start to have some meaningful negotiations.”

While fellow wicketkeeper Ian Healy’s comments differ from Gilchrist’s views saying “I think a potential strike over a model of payment is just not on,” Healy told News Corp yesterday.

“The game is wealthy. Everyone is doing well. “I would not even be threatening to have a strike. We are not talking about massive issues here.

“Strike action should be avoided at all costs, and I think the players will feel that as well.”

And while former Test bowler Damien Fleming expressed his strong support for retaining the revenue-sharing model, he added there were elements – such as the payment split between international and domestic players – that “needs tweaking”.

“I still don’t understand why we can’t keep a (revenue sharing) percentage model,” Fleming told Melbourne radio station RSN927 today.

“Within that, there’s still got to be enough money for grassroots, and more money for women’s cricket and infrastructure and enough money for Cricket Australia to run the game.

“But for 20 years it seems to have worked. “So, yes, there’s got to be tweaking. State cricketers are under the pump a bit, and I agree to a degree. “I don’t want (Sheffield) Shield cricketers on half a million dollars, I think that’s too much.” said the former right-arm quick.

The association’s proposal would see domestic men’s and women’s players receive capped pay increases of 18 per cent and 150 per cent respectively over the five years of the new MOU, which would, in turn, mean an average annual payment to a male domestic cricketer reach $235,000 by the end of the 2021-22 season.

Under the current revenue-sharing model, payments to men’s domestic players over the past five years have increased by 53 percent, and the same level of growth throughout the new MOU period would see that average annual payment increase to more than $304,000 per annum.

It would be, intriguing to see where both the Cricket Australia and the players meet to agree to both of their demands and whether it would have any results on the IPL.