Australia Cricketers' Association hits out at Cricket Australia for mismanagement of funds

Cricket Australia’s financial management amidst the ongoing coronavirus crisis has been criticised by the Australian Cricketers’ Association. The global pandemic has already forced Cricket Australia to put out a majority of its staff on a 20 percent salary till the end of June. Additionally, a handful of others, including the executives, will be receiving 80 percent pay.

Earlier, the governing body also asked for significant cuts from their state association owners. Latest developments indicate that Cricket Australia is now contemplating to reduce the number of matches in their 2020-21 domestic season, a move which was severely criticised by women’s wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy.

Also Read | T20 World Cup's Likely Postponement Will Open Door For IPL: Mark Taylor

Coronavirus Australia: Cricket Australia comes under scanner

The Australian Cricketers’ Association Chairman (ACA), Greg Dyer, recently said that Cricket Australia’s stance towards the coronavirus pandemic is “horribly wrong”. In an article on the ACA website, Dyer wrote that asking for significant cuts from states association will lead to the filtering down of local cricket. He suggested that in order to save the game in the country, Cricket Australia should calibrate with their states by giving them a greater voice instead of taking the cost-cutting approach.

Also Read | IPL 2020 Would Be Preferred By ICC Over T20 World Cup, Asia Cup: Ex-Pak Batsman Basit Ali

Greg Dyer believes that the cutting of costs will have “disastrous” and “lasting” results on the health of cricket in Australia. Dyer also batted for Sheffield Shield, Cricket Australia’s oldest competition, and hailed the tournament for producing great Australian players over the years. He is of the opinion that by asking cuts from state associations, the Australian cricket administrators will be diminishing the legacy of a 128-year old tournament.

Also Read | BCCI Official Considers Holding T20 World Cup In October 'impractical': Report

Coronavirus Australia: Future of T20 World Cup

The much-awaited T20 World Cup is slated to be played between October 18 and November 15 in Australia later this year. Even though the ongoing crisis continues to halt all immediate cricketing activities, even the T20 World Cup looks clouded with much uncertainty at the moment. As stated by an International Cricket Council (ICC) official to the PTI, an option of shifting the upcoming T20 World Cup to 2022 is expected to be put on the table when ICC holds a meeting on May 28.

The fate of BCCI’s IPL 2020

The Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) season has been indefinitely postponed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). However, several reports suggest that IPL 2020 might take place during the October-November window, in case the T20 World Cup is shifted to next year. Several top Australian stars like Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch and David Warner are slated to represent their respective franchises in the Indian T20 event.

Also Read | BCCI Wants More Bilateral Home Series Over Asia Cup, T20 World Cup To Help Smaller Boards: Report