Australian cricketers look to modernise revenue share model to grow the game

22 July, 2022

With CA recognising the revenue sharing model is the right model for the game, the players focus turns to greater opportunities for growth.

Australia's cricketers are seeking to simplify and modernise the cricket’s revenue sharing model as part of the principles it will take into the game’s next MOU.

As part of preliminary talks ahead of negotiations due to begin between the Australian Cricketers Association and CA by the end of the month, player delegates met in Melbourne over the past two days to discuss a platform from which to commence talks.


Speaking for the players, ACA President Shane Watson said that a revenue share model that provided a more transparent and genuine share of cricketing revenues had been discussed at length.

“We have thankfully reached a point where the revenue sharing model has been recognised by CA as the right model for the game, and one that reflects that the players are a genuine partner in the future and growth of the game,” Watson said.

“This was recognised when it was embedded in the 2022-23 MOU. That the model is the right one for the game was made evident in its success in dealing with the challenges of the Covid pandemic over the last few years in which player payments and benefits self-adjusted as the games’ revenues fluctuated and therefore players were not paid more than what the game could afford.”

Watson said that the ACA was now looking to build upon this 25-year-old partnership model in a way that further incentivises ongoing co-operation. This includes looking at issues such as independent forecasting of revenues to make the process more transparent, as well as considering issues relating to future revenue streams and deals.

“An example of this would be where CA and the players have worked together as a joint venture on projects such as The Test documentary and the recent NFT partnership with Rario.”

Watson said the delegates discussed several other topics, including the importance of properly funded grassroots cricket and an increased emphasis on and consistency of resourcing of players’ mental health.

The continued growth of the women’s game was also an area of focus, and Watson said the ACA would continue to advocate for continuing to professionalise the women’s game so that it will grow in a way that is fair, equitable and keeps player wellbeing at the forefront.

“The ACA has achieved a lot in the past few years regarding increasing the base salary for female players, as well as increasing the opportunities to play. There are several other areas that we will continue to seek to improve as part of the upcoming negotiations, including encouraging cricket to move towards a mindset which values men’s and women’s cricket equally, as well as establishing an off-field marketing strategy that better recognises the great diversity that exists within woman’s cricket.”

Watson said the players were committed to their role in the partnership to grow and build the game but believes all of cricket would be better served by embedding the key recommendations made by the Culture Review conducted by The Ethics Centre in October 2018.

“We know the partnership model works, but ultimately all the partners in the game would be better served by properly implementing the recommendations from the Longstaff review, including a greater formalisation of the important role of the Australian Cricket Council in relation to strategic matters affecting all Australian cricket.”

ACA principles ahead of MOU talks

  • Affirming the ACA’s commitment to the 25-year partnership with CA, the State Associations and W/BBL entities and the practice of revenue sharing.
  • A simplified and modernised Revenue Share Model
  • Affirming the importance of adequately funding grassroots cricket.
  • An increased emphasis on and consistency of resourcing of Players’ mental health and other elements of occupational health and safety.
  • Further Professionalisation of the women’s game
  • Importance of properly structured and resourced domestic cricket
  • Greater and more consistent resourcing by the game to assist those past players upon whose shoulders the game’s success and popularity has been built.
  • Embedding cultural change in Australian cricket
© Australian Cricket Players Limited
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
The Australian Cricketers’ Association acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders both past and present.