Andrew Strauss and Tom Harrison hold regular meetings with PCA representatives © PA Photos
There is presently no likelihood of English cricket suffering the sort of conflict currently being experienced in Australia, according to the chief executive of the PCA, David Leatherdale.
While the relationship between players and board has descended to an all-time low in Australia, Leatherdale is quietly optimistic that the next pay deal for players in England and Wales can be resolved without undue acrimony. He does accept, however, that there is “a great deal of work to be done” before agreement is reached over how the influx of revenue from the new broadcast deals will be allocated.
There are significant differences between the pay models used in England and Australia. Unlike the Australian model, there is no collective bargaining agreement in England and Wales and no direct link between the board’s income and player payment. The ECB does not set the salary of county players, either, leaving that to their individual clubs as long as it fits within a salary cap. The board also retains the ability to put parameters in place via the direct funding agreed as part of the MoU with each county.
More than that, though, it seems the relationship between the PCA (the players’ union in England and Wales) and the ECB is far less antagonistic than that between CA and the ACA. Leatherdale holds monthly meetings with Andrew Strauss, the managing director of the England team, and speaks to Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, on a regular basis. It may also be relevant that Harrison, like Leatherdale, is a former professional player.
While the current pay deal for England players will expire at the end of 2019, it seems there is an expectation on all sides that the pay will rise considerably in line with the new broadcast deal which will bring over £1 billion into England cricket between 2020 and 2024. With some centrally-contracted players (those who play in all formats) already earning in excess of £700,000 (before appearance fees; those on white-ball deals only earn just over £400,000), there is every likelihood that the new deal will see players’ contracts worth in excess of £1 million a year.
Some tensions are inevitable, though. The costs of the new-team T20 competition will be high – player salaries will have to be high to compete with the CPL, which looks likely to take place at a similar time – while the ECB are set to expand its in-house media operation and ensure the All Stars programme is properly resourced and supported.
The value and nature of the international men’s teams’ central contracts (as well as their appearance and commercial fees) has been negotiated by the TEPP (Team England Player Partnership) since 2001 as a reaction to a serious disagreement between the board and players ahead of the 1999 World Cup. The TEPP board includes lawyers and accountants alongside the likes of Leatherdale, Marcus Trescothick and Joe Root, the current England Test captain. Richard Bevan, a previous CEO of the PCA, now filling the same position at the League Managers’ Association, is also on the committee. TEPP is not involved in discussions concerning domestic players.
“I speak to Tom Harrison regularly and have a meeting with Andrew Strauss every month to discuss player’s positions and issues” David Leatherdale told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a strong relationship and it is recognised by the ECB how important all players are to the game.
“I would like to think we can reach a deal without any of the drama we’ve seen elsewhere, while still understanding that the PCA’s remit and aim is to ensure all our members are suitably rewarded across all levels in relation to the revenue within the game. That’s what we’ll fight for.
“It is the players who provide the entertainment, who help to inspire others to get involved in cricket and whose willingness to accept and adapt to changes in the structure of professional cricket will be significant in helping the ECB to grow the game at all levels.
“We are also greatly encouraged that Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, has acknowledged that professional cricketers in England and Wales – both men and women – have a major role to play in promoting and developing the game and that they should be rewarded accordingly.”
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo