It’s January and Australia is set to play cricket on another continent. This is an act of gross sacrilege that has pillaged Australians of their irrefutable birthright: to forever have ODI cricket at home in summer, behind a paywall.
In the modern world of cricket, many obstacles can prevent people from seeing play.
It could be poorly negotiated broadcast deals, cost of living constraints, or if you’re Jos Buttler, Vernon Philander’s waistline.
But despite unstable landscapes and dad bods, Australians have always been able to rely on one thing in summer – the playing of international pyjama cricket on our own soil, provided it’s not in the middle of a Big Bash game or Darwin.
In fact, it’s even decreed in the constitution that our summer months involve excess ham, family disputes, and gully fieldsmen for Shane Bond as he bowls at Damien Martyn for a crystal decanter and two points in the Carlton series.
But despite this, Australia currently finds itself on the subcontinent preparing for India. So why are we breaching our own laws by leaving Australians to starve for a week on nothing but 25 Big Bash double-headers?
Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images
This unprecedented disgrace arose after the all-powerful BCCI called in a small favour from Cricket Australia, which was to do what they say at all times and forever, which coincidentally is also in our constitution.
India claim they were owed a series after the two countries fell short of their quota of 75 per annum, a claim for compensation akin to a rich conman being exposed on A Current Affair and then demanding the $3.78 royalties.
Nevertheless, Australia has accommodated the BCCI’s small request, costing Aaron Finch’s men the advantage of familiar conditions at home – that being half-filled cavernous stadia with no Bay 13 or clear air.
After much robust negotiation of taking orders, CA bosses saw it as no biggie to alter the Earth’s orbit around the sun by shifting our local summer to autumn, especially when it came with the rich reward of three inconsequential games and reinforced sub-ordinance.
Making matters even more foreign, the Aussies will then jet to South Africa at the completion of the series – and while this is still subject to fact-checking, I’m pretty sure this can also be blamed on India.
For confused locals, seeing an Australian cricket team arrive in South Africa in January could only be plausibly explained as a $1 Tiger mystery flight, or a stop-off for some biltong or another Marnus.
However you see it, foisting away pyjama cricket from Australia in the summer months is a strike to the heart of our national fabric, a symbolic disassembly of our identity, and furthermore, pretty crap.
AAP Image/Richard Wainwright
It’s like the fall of the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad, except instead of Iraqi citizens pulling it down with ropes, it withers and topples from exhaustion after shaking hands with 750 dignitaries while holding the really heavy Hero Honda and Pantene present The Oppo and ByJu Trophy.
In fact, Australia haven’t played an ODI in January outside a local timezone since time was invented. Such is its cultural value, it even took a major government intervention in the 1970s just to get games in Western Australia.
Sure, the series is worth big crore, but it once again raises the question: why can’t we just lend some from Pat Cummins?
Is this travesty the thin edge of the wedge? Will Australia be soon outsourcing all home ODIs to India? Then Boxing Day in the Himalayas? The Australian Open at Sourav Ganguly’s house? The Big Bash in Tasmania?
Hopefully, this won’t be a problem for long. At the current rate, Australia will soon become a remote state of India, with the country sold to a rich Bollywood magnate as the latest IPL franchise. But until then, it’s sacrilege.
HR
Roar Rookie
They would have been more likely to win then :silly:
Max power
Guest
Good to know that one person is watching the Waratahs
Christopher
Guest
Each season I tentatively look forward to the BBL season and then it arrives. I watch the first three overs then realise I don’t actually care who wins and never tune in again. The summer of cricket hasn’t been the same for me for a long time. I’d be buzzing in the 90s waiting for the first test in Brisbane to be followed by the World Series Cup and then Boxing Day and the SCG. Then more WSC and then the Adelaide test on Australia Day and then the Perth test. It was three months of great and exciting cricket. Now we have the final test in the first week of January. Usually followed by a quick BS ODI series played at Manuka where teams score 361. Remember Deano asking for Curtly to take his sweat bands off? remember Waugh’s catch by the sight screen at the MCG and Border throwing down the stumps from mid wicket. That was the stuff. I miss cricket.
U
Roar Rookie
This is disconcerting!
Cadfael
Roar Guru
UK Independent has the story. Web site above.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Here's a web site about it 10% https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/australia-players-in-dispute-with-authorities-over-ipl-salary-levy-2072973.html
Chufortah
Guest
Yep... only in Australia can you walk over someone’s culture for money. I’ve given up on cricket altogether - the BBL is lame and boring, I can’t stay awake (honestly) as it’s all the same... The only thing that reminds me of a bygone era are listening to ABC radio as they call the cricket. I’m pretty sure Australian Cricket is copying Rugby’s playbook of corporate gain over spectacle. Australia sports administration is the poorest in the world... I think they all go to the same university to study... sadly this is symptomatic of populist positions. I love democracy but we need a dictatorship.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Does this series count towards League points? I thought it did, but haven't checked recently.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Thanks Christo. Certainly no surprise that CA would want to dip into players pockets. Contract provisions enabling reduction in payments due to unavailability from injury sustained elsewhere should do the trick.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Sorry, I should stress I don't think there is a legal requirement as such, more that CA (well, any national governing body) wants to: a) maximise it's revenue, and b) protect it's assets. The IPL might be scheduled for while CA players are officially on 'leave', but CA would still be concerned about any injuries suffered by any of their players during the IPL.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Good piece Dane. And you've got a decent memory; "and gully fieldsmen for Shane Bond as he bowls at Damien Martyn...". lol.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
What did you expect after Sutherland decided to fill the Board with business types?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Agreed General and good research on the revenue/costs. Like most businesses, the cost base continues to spiral. I imagine this is especially so in a business like sport where there are increasing legal requirements to provide OHS minimum standards for players and spectators alike (think about the 60s/70s where it was standing room only, literally, with people crammed together with no shade and no security - I guess Hillsborough changed that thinking to a large degree), and the associated penalties - financial and imprisonment for Board/Company Directors included - for failing to comply/provide a safe space; hence why we see an approach of trying to be ahead of the curve re OHS (some would call it over-reaching). Any idea on the sourcing of that revenue? Media v Gate receipts for example?
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
The alternative is to not let contracted players participate in 3rd party tournaments. This compromise would've most likely been ratified by the players association during the last great player cash grab.
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Yes Jeff, interesting looking at CA financial revue for 2018/19. Total revenue 485 million of which 340 million was the total expenditure. (Interesting that player and umpire payments amounted to 104 million). This left 145 million. However in you question re paying state players etc, 127 million of this amount was paid to State Associations. (I assume to fund grass roots cricket etc, as well as the state associations individual earnings as well). This left an operating surplus of 18 million. Seems very minute in relation to total revenue. I find the criticism by some on here of CA to be over the top. They have an immense amount to do in relation to cricket in this country. Yes they may get some things wrong but no Association is perfect.
IAP
Guest
Plus, they were playing for something. The meaningless series is the killer.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Thanks General. It's an interesting one. I think there was a Roar article that suggested it. I wonder did CA also try and get 10% of the player's State contract payments? Or do they not get paid by the States if under CA contract? More interestingly, would a State-contracted player who isn't under CA contract, have some of their IPL/CPL/BPL etc earnings taken (assuming they played in those Leagues)? It would certainly be lucrative for the State associations! Would still be keen to see some actual evidence in the form of the CA contract wording, but not sure that is publicly available? I'm not surprised the PA would push back on that if it was indeed floated by CA; I've never heard of one employer taking a share of earnings from another employment contract. Many companies of course have policies re "moonlighting", but that's usually about not allowing it to occur or otherwise stating one must be available when called on to work. Re injuries, I could certainly understand a clause that may seek to reduce the contracted sum if an injury occurred to a player while undertaking "extra-curricular (*dangerous*) activities", which then caused them to be unavailable. But that's very different.
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Jeff, after doing some research I discovered some facts (I think). The BCCI which controls the IPL did (some time ago) put forward a rule that overseas Boards should be paid 10% of a players IPL salary. Maybe this is some compensation in case of injury etc. but apparently the IPL is played in our cricketers "leave" period. From what I can deduce CA tried to implement this in 2017, but was resisted strongly by the Players Association. I have not been able to find out the exact outcome of the PA call. There is a comment on a cricket site (looked at so many not sure which one) that states CA " could" take the 10%, but I can find no evidence that this is actually done.
Trevor
Guest
I should've prefaced my statement about CA with an apparently as I have only word of mouth to refer to, though that word of mouth is in a position to be in the know.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Interesting. I know two people who each work two jobs under contract. As far as I'm aware (though I should now check) neither has to pay one employer for working for the other employer. The ATO on the hand.. Anyway, perhaps it was something that CA brought in as part of the August 2017 pay deal which dragged on as a dispute for 6 moths prior, but it just wasn't widely reported on. Or maybe CA has reached a deal with BCCI in contravention of the players pay deal; the legal implications of that will be fascinating to watch play out. Definitely keen to read about some details.