Breakaway reports 'highly speculative' - CA

Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards has described reports of an alternative world cricket structure as "highly speculative" and said CA would work staunchly with the ICC and other countries to protect the global interests of the game.

A report in the Sydney Morning Herald suggested that leading Australia players such as Michael Clarke and David Warner could be offered as much as $50 million each over 10 years to join the breakaway venture being explored by the Essel Group. But Edwards said Australia's players were already very well-paid.

"We are aware of the reports around a rebel league and they remain highly speculative, particularly given the proposed scale and complexity," Edwards said. "Australian cricket has never been in better health. Record crowds, television audiences, grassroots participation and commercial support continue to drive record revenue which means player payments have never been higher and will only increase.

"As it stands, Australia's cricketers are the highest paid athletes of any team sport in the country and the earnings of our top-ranked players would already be close to the numbers referenced in today's media reports.

"But our pay structure is broader than that. It's about supporting professional cricket at both international and domestic level. The success of international cricket directly subsidises the wages of state cricketers. Any proposed rebel league would jeopardise that.

"Most of Australian cricket's revenue is reinvested back into the sport, strengthening it for the 1.1 million players at grassroots level around the country.

"We remain firmly focused on growing the game in Australia for fans and participants, while at international level we will be staunch in working with the ICC and other member countries to protect the interests of the game globally."

Essel Group owner Subhash Chandra previously bankrolled the rebel Indian Cricket League, which disappeared after the emergence of the Indian Premier League.