Australian cricket player payment growth rate slows

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) and Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) have jointly advised international and state cricketers that their payments will not grow as fast as expected in the next two years.

This follows a slow down in the growth rate for 2001-05 projected Australian Cricket Revenue (ACR) due to a range of factors, including a reduced dividend from the World Cup and tightening of media rights income.

Players receive 25 per cent of ACR under the terms of a four-year ACB/ACA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) negotiated in 2001. International players receive 55 per cent of the player pool and state contracted players receive 45 per cent.

The player payment pool for 2002-03 is $24 million while the MOU had projected it to be $26 million and $28 million in each of the next two financial years.

Under the terms of the MOU, the ACB has revised the player payment pool projections to $25 million and $27 million for each of the next two years.

The MOU recognises that ACR revenue projections can either be exceeded or not reached and allows for upward or downward adjustments in the player payment pool.

Players were advised of the changed projections this week.

"The ACB and state associations are working hard to manage costs and generate extra revenue," players were told in a joint ACB/ACA advisory note.

"Hopefully, future ACR estimates can be revised upwards, and if so, the appropriate increases in player payments will be reflected in adjusted payments you will receive," the joint note said.

The major changes for the next two seasons are:

All other aspects of the MOU have remained intact.