ZCU statement on players' remuneration

MEDIA RELEASE CONTRACTED PLAYER REMUNERATION

Over the last year there has been a great deal of player dissatisfaction over their remuneration which has led to media reporting and speculation on the remuneration paid to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union contracted cricket players.

This culminated in the players' demands on the England Tour resulting in a possible boycott of the tour which led to the formulation of an independent Remuneration Committee whose findings both the players and the ZCU Administration would accept.

In an attempt to resolve the impasse at the earliest opportunity a Committee was formed comprising the following:

• Lord Alexander of Weedon, the President Elect of the MCC, acting as an independent Chairman.
• Andrew Whittall, being the players' representative, and
• Bryan Thorn, senior partner of Deloitte & Touche Zimbabwe, being the ZCU representative.

The Remuneration Committee has agreed on a remuneration structure for the 2000/2001 season. It is the view of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union that the findings of the Remuneration Committee should be publicised so that the speculation as to the earnings of our players is brought to an end.

3 broad principles were followed by the Committee:-

• To provide an adequate reward for contracted players, especially those valued on the international market
• To provide an incentive for young players to become professional
• To allow the ZCU to develop cricket at all levels from grass roots to Test level.

The Committee decided to leave the existing 1999/2000 contracts unchanged as they saw, quote "no compelling reason to alter the agreements, and it was considered undesirable and unfair to make any award which encourages mid-year re-negotiation of annual agreements entered into after careful consideration." unquote

All prize money won by the team is distributed amongst the players only.

Attached are tables showing the potential earnings of contracted players for the current season, together with the comparison for the past year. The contract period for our players is 1 September to 31 August in the following year.

In publicising the player potential earnings the ZCU consider it desirable and transparent to publish the earnings of it's Chief Executive. The disclosed earnings are for the period 1 May to 30 April in the following year.

D A ELLMAN-BROWN 25 SEPTEMBER 2000 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Special conditions applied to the World Cup Earnings. Players earnings from the World Cup in England during 1999 amounted to $7 134 216 before taxation. These included match fees, bonuses and allowances.