15 May 2017

The Cricket Australia Player’s Strike

Written by Dennis Freedman

This pay dispute is a massive cluster fuck.

The players somehow think they are entitled to a fixed percentage of CA revenue because it is currently the system. It’s such a stupid argument.

The CA Board are not a bunch of arsehats. They are responsible and successful business people who have done a brilliant job growing Australian cricket in recent times.

Record TV deals, the BBL, WBBL, better pay for Shield players, Milo cricket, women’s cricket, more cricket on TV, the Cricket Australia media site giving them more positive exposure than ever before …. the list goes on.

All things that James Sutherland helped them get. He also helped them get the current fixed share of revenue model. But now he’s saying it doesn’t work. Not for his personal benefit. For the benefit of the game.

Yet, despite an offer of the average mens international player getting $1.45m, Shield player getting $235k and female players getting on average $175k, the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) reckon it’s not a #FairShare.

CA are arguing that giving a firm 22.5% of revenues to approx 200 contracted players is not sustainable. They claim this is because the cost base to run and grow the game for the other 1.3 million cricket players in the country is growing. On face value, this appears to be a logical claim.

I don’t get a fixed percentage of my employers revenue. Do you? No, of course not.

Most of the Australian cricket media are siding with the players. I’m yet to read one article challenging the ACA. The cynical mind thinks it’s because these guys are scared of upsetting their player mates or losing access. It’s blind unionism at its worst. I may be wrong… Yeah, nah. This bit shits me just as much as the ACA stance. Where’s the analysis?

CA correctly claim that as of today, future revenues are uncertain. But, I guarantee no one will want them to slow spending on the game if the TV bidding war doesn’t go to plan. For example, the BBL is a loss making machine that pays its top players up to $150k for 6 weeks work. The purpose of the BBL is to grow the game with kids, not make money. But if the ACA get their way, and revenues remain stable but costs do rise, something has to give.

Now the players are threatening a strike during The Ashes. This is total arsehattery and one that will totally put the public offside. And for what? CA player salaries are growing like there’s no tomorrow, as are sponsorship opportunities and T20 opportunities. But apparently it’s not enough.

Some are arguing that the players are the game and must be treated as partners. But this is a narrow and blinkered view. The role of the CA Board is to protect the game for all, now and for tomorrow. It is not to just make 200 contracted players even richer. You don’t need to have a fixed percentage of revenue to be a partner. You need a fair model.

So here’s message to the Australian Players Association and the players who think #FairShare and striking is worth doing. Stop being total fuckwits, take a deep breath and let the business people who actually understand this stuff manage the game like adults. The offer in front of you is more than fair and it ensures that players like myself are not disadvantaged because of your greed.

The game is not you. It is all of us. The grade cricketer. The indoor player. The 12 year old school player. And your threats about hurting the game show that you are either sold by stupid sloganism, are badly advised, are selfish, or all of the above.

I’m happy to debate this with any contracted player if you think I’m wrong. Just drop me a DM. Come into the Can’t Bowl Can’t Throw Cricket Show studio. Take the microphone.

Convince my audience that Mitch Marsh or Stephen O’Keefe getting $1.45m before BBL, IPL, CPL or endorsements is not enough. Convince them that the women’s game and pay isn’t moving fast enough. Convince them that you deserve that extra dollar rather than spending it on Milo cricket or club cricket.

Convince them that a 20 something year old sports person knows more about running a $400m+ business than the CA Board. I mean these guys: http://annualreport.cricketaustralia.com.au/board-of-directors/

I’d be impressed if they could even explain the CA financial reports to me: http://annualreport.cricketaustralia.com.au/financial-report/financial-reports/

You guys have the best run cricket board in the world looking after your long term interests and you are dumping on them. Don’t like it? Count yourself lucky you weren’t born West Indian.