England’s cricketers wary of agreeing to pay cuts until it becomes clear just how much of the cricket season can be played due to coronavirus crisis
- England’s cricketers are holding off deciding on pay cuts due to coronavirus
- They want to see how much of the cricket season can be played before agreeing
- ECB chief wrote to the PCA on Sunday asking players to take a 20 per cent cut
- Players are hesitant until they know if the season will be shortened or cancelled
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
England’s elite players will wait to see how much of the cricket season can take place before they decide on pay cuts to help ease the financial burden of the coronavirus crisis.
It was revealed by Sportsmail on Tuesday night that ECB chief executive Tom Harrison had written to the Professional Cricketers Association on Sunday asking players to take a 20 per cent salary reduction.
That request, for now at least, has been rejected and Harrison confirmed on Tuesday while announcing a £61million emergency package to help the county and recreation game that ‘no centrally contracted players will be taking a pay cut.’
England stars are holding off taking pay cuts to see how much of the season can be played
The coronavirus crisis has led to panic that this summer’s cricket will be totally written off
But it was clarified on Wednesday that England’s top players do not want to commit to a cut until they know if they are going to play a truncated season or face a complete wipe-out of the summer’s international and domestic cricket.
And Sportsmail understands the PCA in the form of their chief executive Tony Irish has constantly advised their entire membership to resist being pressured into any form of reduction in wages until a summer schedule has been drawn up.
‘Everyone in cricket circles is waiting to see when we can get an indication of how much cricket we can get in,’ said England’s World Cup winning captain Eoin Morgan yesterday. ‘That will determine if there will be financial impacts for everybody.
‘I’m extremely willing to help where I know it will make a difference and in these uncertain times when no-one has any answers on the actual impact it will have I’m open to absolutely everything.
‘We as players want to make an impact. The only difficulty we have at the moment is the best way to help. In the coming weeks when things start to get clearer we can start putting a strategy into place. The information and advice we will be getting is extremely important but cricket does seem quite a long way off just yet.’
Jos Buttler is auctioning off the shirt he wore in England’s triumphant World Cup final last year
One England player who found a way to help is Jos Buttler who on Tuesday announced he would be auctioning his World Cup winning shirt to raise funds for two London hospitals.
‘It’s an incredibly kind gesture,’ said Morgan. ‘We talked about auctioning memorabilia off after the World Cup final and I do what I can. I don’t understand having something sitting in your drawer as a trophy when it can make an impact on lives. Other people are different and I know Justin Langer has said he would never sell his at any price but I don’t understand that.’
Morgan meanwhile backed Harrison’s suggestion that two England teams could take the field at the same time in Test and white-ball cricket to maximise any reduced season later this summer.
‘If there’s an opportunity to play as much cricket as we can I’d like to think every player would be behind it. I certainly am,’ added Morgan.