England players take 15% pay cuts as part of ECB cost-cutting measures

English cricket is feeling the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic

England's male players have agreed to reductions in pay (Getty Images)

The ECB have announced its men’s players have agreed 15 per cent reductions in their contracts as part of further cost-cutting measures in English cricket.

The governing body and the Team England Player Partnership - a body who deal with the commercial interests of international players - have struck an agreement over cuts to central contracts after around a month of negotiations to help cope with the English cricket experiencing around £100m of losses this summer. These contracts, awarded at the end of September, run for a 12-month from 1 October

The reductions are made up of retainers (the basic salary), match fees and win bonuses. With the losses this year, and more expected next summer especially if matches still need to be played behind closed doors and in strict bio-secure environments, the players have been keen to play their part.

At the start of the summer, the men’s side made a donation of £500,00 to the Professional Cricketers’ Association, and other charitable causes. But there is a sense that just a 15 per cent cut to red and white ball deals that were worth up to £650,000 per year and £250,000 per year, respectively, are out of step with the struggles of the wider English game. Many domestic cricketers have been reliant on the job support scheme throughout the pandemic.

Ashley Giles, Managing Director, England Men's Cricket, said: "I would like to thank the players and TEPP for their collaboration, which has enabled us to reach this agreement. The relationship with our men's players and their representatives (TEPP) is strong, and we need to recognise that our players, led by captains Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, have conducted themselves with great maturity and responsibility throughout this challenging time.

“We now want to build on this agreement and work together on a number of areas relating to player welfare, particularly mental health, which remains a high priority for all of us, as we continue to navigate a path through this pandemic."

A knock-on effect of these cuts will be more players looking to supplement their income with gigs overseas, especially if they are not on the more lucrative red-ball contracts. Overnight, Jason Roy (on a white ball deal) signed for Perth Scorchers, becoming the latest non-Test player who represented England this summer to join Australia’s Big Bash League. Dawid Malan (Hobart Hurricanes), Tom Banton (Brisbane Heat), Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers) and Alex Hales (Sydney Thunder), will also be taking part in the competition. Other players, such as Mark Wood and Sam Billings, are also open to stints in this winter.