Players want more funds for grassroots cricket, from where asks CA

In the latest development in the pay dispute saga between the Australian cricketers and the board, Cricket Australia (CA) has asked players from where would come the additional $60 million they have sought for the eed fund for the grassroots cricket.

CA plans to spend $60 million per year to fund the grassroots while Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) has proposed close to $120 million a year. This raises the question, the CA has raised, from where will the additional $60 million come, according to a report in The Age.

ACA has proposed that the additional funds can come by capping the administrative costs at 55 per cent of the revenue or almost $1.5 billion.

"As a result of this set allocation to grassroots, cricket achieves a 'cap' on CA's administrative costs of approximately 55 per cent of revenue... to ensure that cricket in Australia prioritises the right level of investment in grassroots and fair remuneration of all players," the ACA said.

The players say their plan "prioritises the investment in grassroots cricket by protecting 22.5 per cent of these revenues for it, including the creation of an estimated $119 million per year, five-year 'Grassroots Seed Fund' to secure cricket's future"

"It leaves an estimated $1.5 billion (or 55 per cent of these revenues) with CA for cricket administration over and above player payments and protected grassroots investment".

There is a lack of agreement between the players and the board about the projected revenues which will be generated by the game in the next five years.

According to the ACA the CA is set to receive $2.6 billion over the next five years, excluding the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in 2020. CA will soon officially go to market for new international and domestic television broadcast rights, while a rich deal with an Indian broadcaster will also be made.

"I don't think we'll need to cut anything," an ACA spokesman said.

--IANS

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