Test cricket to be saved by multimillion-dollar fund

An Australian initiative aimed at creating a fund worth $15 million or more to keep the game’s best players in Test cricket looks set to be adopted by the International Cricket Council.

Most major cricket nations are unable to compete with the financial pulling power of lucrative T20 competitions such as the Indian Premier League, prompting Australia – working closely with India and England – to devise a strategy to bolster the longest form of the game.

The fund would ensure a minimum Test payment for all players, thought to be $US10,000 (almost $15,000), and pay the costs of overseas tours for struggling countries. The West Indies spent $1 million sending men’s and women’s teams to Australia last summer.

Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird, who raised the concept in January, is delighted it is set to be embraced.

“It’s fantastic to see some momentum behind the Test match fund,” Baird told this masthead. “We need to take away the barriers and encourage Test cricket to be the best of the best. To retain that history and that legacy, which goes alongside the newer forms of white ball cricket.”

The concept has been championed by Indian cricket supremo Jay Shah, who will be formally elected ICC president next week.

NSW Premier Chris Minns with former premier and Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird, right, and Australian cricketers Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood at the SCG last Sunday.Credit: Edwina Pickles

“There should be a dedicated fund for Tests, whether it’s $5 million, $10 million or more,” Shah said in an Indian media interview this week. “It is expensive to host teams for five-day Tests, so we are preparing for it. If the [ICC] board agrees, we are ready to do it.”

Shah was unrepentant about India taking almost 40 per cent of the ICC dividend, driven largely by the vast television rights India generates for being part of world events. By contrast, Zimbabwe gets about 3 per cent.

While Indian cricket also accumulates vast wealth through the IPL and their international matches, Shah claims India supports other countries by touring more than any other Test nation. This generates income for the host nation selling broadcast rights back to India.

The fund is unlikely to directly benefit the three most wealthy cricket nations – India, Australia and England – who all pay their players well.

Jay Shah with Indian skipper Rohit Sharma.Credit: ICC via Getty Images

Pat Cummins earned about $3 million from Cricket Australia last year as captain of the Test and one-day teams. Most regular Australian players earn between $1 million and $2 million a year.

Just how much money is available for Test cricket from the ICC may depend on a dispute with broadcaster Star.

Star’s winning bid for both TV and digital rights, $US3 billion ($4.46 billion) over four years, was made on the understanding it would on-sell a portion of the deal to ZeeTV, which was in the process of a merger deal with Sony.

But after the collapse of the merger, ZeeTV backed out of sub-licensing the ICC rights, leaving Star to foot the entire bill. Star’s discomfort with the cost of the rights was underlined by an unsuccessful request, earlier this year, to relocate the T20 World Cup from the USA and the Caribbean to India.

The move to set up a Test fund began after South Africa named a vastly weakened squad to tour New Zealand early this year. Having sold their soul to IPL franchises for South Africa’s T20 tournament, SA administrators were then unable to pick their best players.

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh was furious, claiming that administrators “don’t care” about Test cricket.

Following Waugh’s condemnation of the game’s governors, Baird agreed action needed to be taken.

“If we’re in a position that national teams aren’t being prioritised, then we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Baird said.

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