Australia’s top-ranked cricketer is expected to be handed a guaranteed contract worth more than $1.5 million for the coming financial year.
Under the new two-year deal reached between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), the top handful of elite cricketers will be given fixed price contracts for the first time.
Previously, all Australian cricketers’ contracts have included a retainer, along with payments depending on the amount of matches they play.
But, under the agreement for 2009/10 and 2010/11, players who are ranked among the top six Australians in both Test and limited overs cricket will be guaranteed a fixed amount.
“That means instead of being paid match payments or tour payments on top of their fixed retainer contract that will all be incorporated as one for that select number of players,” CA chief executive James Sutherland said.
His ACA counterpart Paul Marsh said that, together with their marketing contract, the top player’s salary would “probably be over $1.5 million” per year.
Players will be given a marketing contract separate from their playing contract for the first time.
The value of the playing contract will be determined according to a weighted rating of their Test and limited overs rankings.
Their marketability will be rated by an independent company, who will determine how strong the public awareness of each player is, as well as a “likeability” ranking.
The combination of those figures will determine their earning level for off-field appearances.
“Players will be recognised for their marketing appearances, what they do and when they do them and we see that as being a significant win for both parties,” Sutherland said.
The total player payment pool – which covers players on CA contracts, as well as on state and rookie contracts – will rise by 13.1 per cent per year.
Sutherland said they were able to cover that increase because of a projected revenue increase of 10 per cent per year for the two-year period.
It means the player payment pool will increase slightly as a proportion of CA revenue.
But that pool of funds will also be used to cater for improved benefits for players’ families and better welfare programs for players, as well as covering the marketing contracts.
Sutherland said the two parties had originally aimed to strike a four-year agreement, but decided on a shorter deal because the current uncertainty of the global economy made it more difficult to predict revenue long-term.
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