The international cricketing calendar is usually jam packed with cricketing action throughout the year. India along with Australia and England tend to play the most cricket; they are the teams that generate the most revenue for the game.
It is no secret that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the richest and most powerful board. The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the crown jewel for the BCCI as it generates massive revenue. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the BCCI to postpone the IPL; as of now there is no confirmation as to whether the IPL will take place this year.
How Will The BCCI Cope With The Losses?
If the BCCI is not able to run the 2020 IPL, it could result in massive financial loss. There is very little chance for the BCCI to fit in the IPL in the second half of 2020; the international cricketing calendar is filled up.
What makes things look grim for the BCCI as well as other cricketing boards across the world is that the current situation makes it appear that there will be very little or no cricketing action for the next 2 to 3 months – maybe even longer. If this turns out to be the case, then the BCCI will not be bringing in any revenues in the near future.
The BCCI will have to make a decision soon as to whether it will go into cost cutting mode to safeguard its revenues or if it has enough money in its coffers to bite the bullet and ride out this time. If the BCCI decides that it will have to go into cost cutting mode, then the board might ask the players to take a cut in their salaries?
Will Indian Players Agree To A Salary Cut?
Indian cricket players are right up there with the richest cricketing players in the world. A salary cut will certainly not hurt the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who have made millions of dollars in recent years. Most of the contracted Indian players are financially well off and will be able to survive a salary cut.
The question is whether they will be willing to accept a salary cut or will they rebel against the BCCI – should the board push for a cut. The players that will really be hurting now will be the hundreds of domestic players who depend a lot on what the BCCI pays them.
With no domestic cricket taking place and no IPL on the cards, these players will take a hit financially! It will be interesting to see what the BCCI does and what the senior Indian players decide going forward!
Australian Players Okay With Salary Cut
Cricket Australia (CA) has not issued new contracts to its players in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Australian captain Tim Paine has gone on record to say that his players are aware that they might have to accept pay cuts for the next season and they were willing to take a reduced pay check in order to do their bit to keep the game of cricket alive.
English Players Not Okay With Salary Cut
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has requested its players to take a pay cut but that request has been rejected by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA). The ECB cannot compel players to take a forced pay cut and hence will have to look at other ways of cost cutting. The ECB management have agreed to take a 20 percent reduction in their salaries with ECB CEO Tony Irish leading from the front and taking a 25 percent pay cut for the next 3 months!
