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I am very supportive of a strike to resolve the cricket pay dispute; a strike by parents refusing to register their kids for junior cricket this summer.
First of all, let’s get some perspective. Allan Border made one of the greatest contributions to cricket in Australia. Border and his Test side made a respectable living as professional cricketers during the 1980s. However, I’m sure ‘AB’ has made a lot more money as a broadcaster after retiring from the game than he earned as a player.
I am also sure a number of Australia’s young Test stars would have already earned considerably more than Border has earned in his entire life. And yet who made the bigger contribution to Australian cricket? AB and his teammates could argue in hindsight they were underpaid, relative to the largesse earned by today’s cricketers.
Fast forward to 2017, and there are plenty of Australian state cricketers playing in competitions around the world and making an enviable living.
Australia’s cricketers have never been better compensated, and yet Cricket Australia is stuck in a pay strike with the players. So why does Cricket Australia find itself in such a hostile impasse with the players?
Let’s focus on David Warner, because he been particularly vocal on this matter. I can think of few things more entertaining than Warner scoring runs quickly on the field. And that’s where I want to see him; on the field.
Unfortunately, Davey has become quite prolific on social media concerning the players’ strike, and he reveals a complete lack of perspective on real life.
Davey has claimed on Twitter that he is “unemployed”. “I may be unemployed but I still have the support and backing from this amazing lady.”
How many unemployed people do you know who live in a palatial house with coastal views and an endless supply of the latest LG TVs?
Warner may be unemployed, but that hasn’t stopped him taking his family on an overseas holiday, and he doesn’t seem too stressed about paying the rent or the mortgage.
Davey is pretty keen on soliciting sympathy from the cricket-watching public; people who typically work more hours (in often unsatisfying jobs) than Davey and get paid a fraction of what he is turning up his nose at. Here he is on Twitter: “Thanks to our fans for all your support. You can now see first hand what we have to deal with. #fairshare.”
Thanks to our fans for all your support. You can now see first hand what we have to deal with. #fairshare
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) June 30, 2017
Yes, I have seen what Davey has to “deal with”, and frankly I’m quite envious. A holiday in a luxurious Fijian villa. A gorgeous Coogee mansion; his beloved OLED TV; a stable of race horses; an investment property portfolio, and a swag of sponsorships.
Davey has given us an insight into his life via his sponsors’ advertisements. Last summer, I could barely watch three overs of Test cricket without seeing Davey singing the praises of LG televisions. So we know Davey lives a good life as a result of his cricketing talents. Seems pretty #fair to me.
We also know that Warner’s prospects outside of cricket weren’t great. In a Woolworths ad, he told us he would probably still be working for Woolies but for his cricketing success. Maybe if Davey was still packing shelves at a supermarket for a living, he might have a better perspective on what constitutes a #fairshare in Australia.
Let’s be clear, I don’t begrudge cricketers being paid well. However, I don’t believe it is vital for cricketers to receive a large pay increase. To the average fan, their claims are driven by greed and a complete detachment from the cricket watching public. People who pay heavily inflated prices to attend the cricket while earning average salaries.
I am personally disgusted that Warner expects me to offer him my sympathy.
So if the cricketers get paid more, who loses out? Well, you and me. Junior cricket registration fees go up. And ticket prices for spectators rise to cushion the blow to Cricket Australia’s finances.
In essence, the players are arguing that their pay rise is far more important than making registration fees affordable for junior cricketers, and ensuring ticket prices are affordable for average earners.
Which leads me to my suggested resolution. Parents of junior cricketers joining together in a mass boycott from paying cricket registration fees, until Australia’s professional cricketers and Cricket Australia reach a dignified agreement. This involves the players ending their extortionary strike, and appreciating the more than #fairshare they receive.
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