CA, ACA differ on Argus recommendations

Cricket Australia might be headed for a showdown with the country's Players' Union, which has opposed the Don Argus Review's recommendation to have a performance-based model for deciding players' salaries.

"What's been overlooked in my view is the fact that our payment system is already extremely performance based. Player retainer values fluctuate from year to year based on player performances -- and these fluctuations can be considerable," said Australian Cricketers' Association chief Paul Marsh.

"Players come on and go off contract lists and it would be fair to say that no other role in Australian cricket is subject to such cut throat performance measures," he explained.

Marsh said players are the ones who generate revenue for CA and their salaries cannot be determined just by their on-field performance.

"It's also important to note that player payments are not just a function of on-field performance. When signing contracts, players hand over various commercial rights to CA that CA exploit for the financial gain of Australian cricket.

"The players also agree to a range of other significant obligations and restrictions. There has to be a fixed value attached to this that isn't dependent on on-field performance," he pointed out.

Marsh was also dismissive of the recommendation to move away from the percentage share of revenue model.

"Quite simply the ACA and our members won't entertain a move away from the percentage share of revenue model we've had since 1999 nor our current 26 per cent share.

"We believe this has worked very well for Australian cricket and the players for the past 12 years and is not a reason for the recent decline in our on-field performances," he said.

The Argus review was conducted to analyse reasons for Australia's decline in the past couple of years.