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Two-thirds of Oz cricketers would reject CA contract for IPL | About two-thirds of players (67 per cent) said they could envisage an Australian player rejecting a CA contract to ply their trade in leagues such as the IPL in the short
to medium term. Asked if they would consider knocking back a CA contract to turn
freelance, 22 per cent of national players and 18 per cent of state players answered
yes. Australia has been given a sobering challenge of trying to keep its best
cricketers in the baggy green, with one in five of the nation's star players revealing
they would consider knocking back a Cricket Australia contract to pursue a freelance
career. The alarming statistic, contained in a new survey of the country's state
and international players, suggests Australia will not be immune from the trend
started by star England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, despite the Australians'
status as the best-paid cricketers in the world. The Australian Cricketers' Association
conducted the annual poll and, although the players still regard the prestige
of the baggy green as the most influential factor in making such a decision, their
responses reflect the changing priorities of elite cricketers in the Twenty20
age. Flintoff retired from Test cricket this year and then rejected a contract
from the English and Wales Cricket Board worth 30,000 pounds to maximise his earning
power with the Chennai Super Kings, reducing the strain on his body and freeing
up his time for other leagues. Although he still wants to play limited-overs cricket
for England, the national board no longer has first call on his services. Australia's
Andrew Symonds is also enjoying the freedom of a freelance career, but only because
his contract was torn up by Cricket Australia after series of behavioural breaches.
"I think Andrew Flintoff's decision is a sign of the times and is reflective of
what a number of players around the world are currently thinking," ACA chief executive
Paul Marsh said. "The reality is that the national boards no longer have a monopoly
over the players' services," he added. "There are new, exciting and lucrative
options available to players, and not surprisingly many are giving serious consideration
to their futures. Our players are well paid, but a competition such as the IPL
in many cases provides a package of more money for less work and therefore less
time away from home. Tell me that's not a proposition any person would consider,"
Marsh said. Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said he was not
surprised modern players were considering their options, and claimed more talented
young athletes would choose cricket over the football codes as a result. He also
insisted Australia was well-placed to keep the best players signed up to national
contracts. "There is no doubt the labour market has changed in that there are
broader options now than there were before," Sutherland said. The survey renews
concerns about the future of 50-over cricket, with players again pledging their
love for the traditions of Tests but nominating one-dayers as the form they enjoy
playing the least. The volume of cricket emerged among players as the most urgent
issue facing the game. Of the two-thirds who said they would consider retirement
from one format in order to extend their career in another, 75 per cent said they
would be most likely to retire from ODIs. |
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