Cricket Australia (CA) will not reveal the fresh contract list as scheduled in March. Given the financial uncertainty that is looming due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the board has postponed the decision to the end of April.
The contracts, which run until June, are normally announced in April but the board had intended to do so in March this year to give the state associations more clarification.
The move had been decided by the Australian Cricketers ‘Association (ACA).
“Given the confusion of what is happening across the world at the moment, it makes sense to take a minute, take a breath and figure out what we’re dealing with and what possible impacts it might have on the game going forward,” Lanning, the women’s captain, told reporters on Monday (March 30).
“We worked very well with Cricket Australia and the ACA, collaborating with them … At the moment, it’s about waiting a little while for us to get the necessary details and they’re able to get on with it.”
The pandemic hasn’t struck Australia’s home season as hard as India’s, the latter in the midst of a crisis are hoping to find feasible dates for the Indian Premier League 2020 . In comparison, Australia lost a few home ODIs against New Zealand and the Sheffield Shield’s last few games, but their home season’s Big Bash League and other show stoppers were played out before the pandemic struck.
In addition to a ban on recruiting, the CA executives have reportedly already taken a pay cut. In the near future the teams, who are equal partners in the game, will also have to make pay cuts.
Coronavirus Halts International Cricket Schedule:
The spread of COVID 19 has forced the International cricket community to halt it’s schedule for the time being. The much awaited tournament of IPL 2020 was also pushed to 15th April.
In a recent media statement, BCCI chief has hinted the tournament to be a truncated affair, if at all it took place.
