The Roar
The Roar

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Stop this madness! Time to sit down and solve the cricket pay crisis

Australian cricket could come to a halt if a new pay deal isn't sorted. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Expert
8th July, 2017
72
1472 Reads

It has gone long enough. It’s time for me to speak up and put an end to this stupid war of words and inaction.

You might say that I don’t know all the facts. There are too many ifs and buts. But I’ll keep it simple.

I don’t understand politics (thank heavens) or legal terms and finances even less (thank God)! But I know my cricket and no one can deny this.

Keep it simple. Among all the rigmaroles and show of bravery and selflessness, the underlining fact is: want for money, more money.

One could understand in the 1970s when cricketers were poorly paid and the World Series Cricket was born. This improved cricketers’ financial position.

Good on them. They deserved extra dollars as previously they had to hang on to their normal job and had to take leave from their bosses to tour overseas with an Australian cricket team.

It has all changed now. With the introduction of BBL and IPL, many cricketers are millionaires, some even multimillionaires.

I do realise that many Sheffield Shield players are still poorly paid. But from where can CA pay them more when an average day attendance for a Shield game is under 200 spectators?

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If the Test cricketers feel sympathy for their poorly paid Shield brothers, why don’t they take a salary cut of up to 25 percent and donate it to their poorer teammates?

Many consider that the act of Australian A team to boycott the tour of South Africa was an act of selflessness.

Perhaps it is so to some extent. But mostly it was to put pressure on CA to pay all the cricketers more.

Is it an act of selflessness? Perhaps yes because it was a chance for them because they forfeited their chance to get selected in the Australian team.

But mostly it is to put pressure on CA to give every cricketer more.

To jeopardise your climb to top is partly selflessness but mostly stupidity merging on committing suicide.

And your country suffers. The Poms will be delighted that they will win the Ashes playing against Australia’s D or G or Y team.

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To lie on a rail track as a train is approaching is not selflessness but suicidal. And who is the winner? Nobody!

It is time for CA and cricketers union to sit on a table and sort out their differences. It is fault on bad sides. Both have acted so far like pig-headed mules. Come on, grow up. You are not 10-month-old babies who think they get everything by putting up a tantrum.

To represent your country is the biggest honour in any field. To throw it away to get more money for you and your lesser paid team mates borders on stupidity.

Now don’t serve me with legal and financial intricacies. To me it is fault and double-fault to use a tennis term.

I have covered the problems in simple English. Sit down and talk all of you involved, and behave like adults without boring legal jargons.

To be stubborn is weakness, not strength – CA, ACA and cricketers.

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