The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Pay hike for Australians

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 22, 2005

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Pay hike for Australians

MELBOURNE: Australia's professional cricketers have brokered a deal for annual pay rises and increased fees over the next four years despite a disastrous start to the Ashes tour.

Under the agreement signed on Tuesday by Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association, 25 players on elite National contracts will have their annual retainers increased by 5.78 per cent per annum until 2009.

The retainers of more than 100 other players who have contracts with any of the six State associations will grow at an annual rate of 5.53 per cent over the same time.

The minimum retainer for the top 25 players increases from $108,000 — excluding match payments, tour fees and endorsements — this season to $112,000 in 2005-2006. The retainers are based on a sliding scale depending on seniority.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the pay deal would allow the game to reward Australia's international and domestic players with increased payments, ``balanced with the ability to continue investing heavily in the game at the grassroot level.''

Cricketers' Association chief executive Tim May said the new agreement acknowledged the players' contribution to the success of Australian cricket ``both on and off the field."

"Our players have worked hard and achieved great things for Australian cricket and they deserve to be rewarded for this success and the revenue growth that this success has created,'' May said in a statement. ``By maintaining a 25 per cent share of Australian Cricket Revenue, players have an incentive to grow the game's revenues, and satisfy and support sponsor initiatives.'' — AP

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