In a recent interview, captain of the Australian Test team, Tim Paine, has opined that Aussie cricketers will not be “greedy” if they are asked to take a pay cut as he feels that it is important for cricket to do well as a sport even in the coming years, in view of the coronavirus crisis.
With high profile events like the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia as well as India’s tour of Australia in doubt due to the COVID-19 crisis, Cricket Australia has decided to stand down 80 per cent of its staff and is reportedly in talks with the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) concerning a potential players’ pay cut.
“Players need to know the absolute financial positions of the game and the players aren’t going to be greedy,” Paine said on ABC Radio. (via PTI)
“Our livelihood, all the people associated with the CA and the players association, their livelihood is dependent on the game of cricket being healthy.
“So at the moment if a pay cut for us is on the cards and that keeps our game thriving well into the future, then that’s something we’ll certainly have to look at.”
It should be noted that Cricket Australia (CA) might lose a massive AUD 300 million dollars if the Indian team fails to go for the proposed India-Australia bilateral series later this year.
Paine stated that he was not taken aback looking at the poor financial health of his country’s cricket board.
“I think commercially a lot of sponsors have been pretty hard hit and it’s obviously going to hit Cricket Australia at some stage then as well,” Paine said.
“I think there’s a bit of safeguarding towards the potential of India not coming (on a tour in December/January) which is worth something like 250 to 300 million dollars,” he added.
The 35-year-old stated that he is not aware of any contingency plan in case the Indian tour gets postponed or cancelled in view of the global health concerns.
“I haven’t just yet and I don’t want to be. I’m hoping that they get here, that would solve a lot of issues,” Paine said.
“I know there’s been some early talks with Cricket Australia and the government around the potential of what could be done, chartering planes and getting them in isolation when they get here to make sure that we can get India here.
“But apart from that I’ve only heard a few things on the rumour mill about maybe New Zealand coming out and us going there.”