T20 big bucks: England cricketers feel denied
A packed international schedule means the players hardly get to play in high-revenue domestic T20 tournaments around the world. Central contracts too are not rewarding enough, some say.
Cricket is one of the most lucrative sports in the world but members of the England national team may be losing out on the riches. This according to the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA).
In a report published in Cricinfo, Angus Porter has been quoted as saying that the England players miss out on playing in Iucrative domestic T20 events due to a busy international schedule which eventually results in their earning being lesser than their counterparts from other national teams. "It is quite wrong to presume that central contracts are adequate compensation. England players are substantially underpaid even before we factor in the lost earnings from potential T20 appearances," he has said.
While Porter is one of the men responsible for negotiating central contracts for England players, the talks with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)are in the early stage. "We understand there are complex issues here. We understand why the England schedule is so busy and we don't pretend there are simple answers. We are not thrusting a stake into the ground and saying our position cannot be moved. We just feel that a bit of flexibility is required and that a negotiated settlement is the answer," said Porter.
England cricket team toured India last month and are currently in New Zealand. The Kiwis will then tour England proving that there won't be much of a break for the English player. While the Indian Premier League is scheduled to take place between April 3 and May 26, a rickety understanding between ECB and the players means a few members will feature in the tournament till May 5 before returning home for the Lord's Test against the Kiwis - starting May 16. This despite wicketkeeper Matt Prior earlier saying that England players run the risk of being frustrated if ECB does not soften its position on IPL. "The one thing is that the IPL and these Twenty20 competitions are not going away. People love them and the players enjoy playing in them, so there are going to be more and more people getting frustrated at the lack of opportunity to play in the IPL. So things may have to change in time."
In stark contrast, Indian and Australian players continue to rake in the big-bucks with players from Down Under featuring in both IPL as well as the Big Bash.