Australia Test captain Tim Paine has assured that the side won’t be greedy if they are asked to take pay cuts due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to Paine, cricketers want to keep the game in a good state amid the outbreak.
Tim Paine sheds light on the possibility of players taking pay cuts
Cricket Australia (CA) has stood down the majority of its staff until the end of the financial year due to the COVID-19 crisis. Paine said players are aware of the revenue sharing model, which is in place. However, Australian players wish to get more clarity on the board’s financial condition before agreeing on the pay cut.
“Players need to know the absolute financial positions of the game and the players aren’t going to be greedy. Our livelihood, all the people associated with the ACA, and the players’ association, their livelihood is dependent on the game of cricket being healthy.” Paine told ABC Radio.
Paine understands CA‘s financial struggle as sponsors have been hit hard. Cricket looks uncertain at least for the coming 3-4 months, and it doesn’t augur well for the game as a lot is riding on it.
” At the moment if a pay cut for us is on the cards and that keeps our game thriving well into the future, then that’s something we’ll certainly have to look at.” he added.
Paine also understands that India’s tour of Australia could be in shambles. The tour is supposed to start in October and close to 250 to 300 million Australian dollars is at stake. Paine said India playing the series will solve a lot many issues and he expects things to go in the same manner without any last-minute changes.
The skipper also shed light on the possibility of getting the cricketers on charter planes and kept in isolation for a fair bit of time. Virat Kohli’s men had won the Test series last time around in Australia. However, with the return of Steve Smith and David Warner, the upcoming series promises to be an exciting affair.