Oz players protest CA attempts to take their 10 percent IPL earnings

MELBOURNE - The Australian Cricketers Association has urged players to refuse to sign Cricket Australia contracts next year as a row has erupted over an attempt to take 10 per cent of their earnings from the Indian Premier League.

The ACA is angry over what it sees as a backroom deal between CA and other boards with the Indian administrators to take millions from players’ contracts.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, which runs the IPL, has ruled that 10 per cent of foreign players’ wages will now go to their respective boards, The Australian reports.

The players’ association believes the board has gone behind its back to grab the money because it knew the BCCI would not pay compensation.

Under the current arrangements with the players, CA deducts 2.5 per cent of their wages for every month overseas playing cricket for other employers.

ACA chief executive Paul Marsh said: “The Australian Cricketers Association has made it known to Cricket Australia that any attempt to take 10 per cent, or any other amount for that matter, from the IPL salaries of Australian players is completely unacceptable and will be opposed in the strongest possible way by us.”

“CA simply has no right to effectively charge a commission on income earned by players from outside their employment to CA. This is akin to an employer trying to take 10 per cent of an employee’s wages from a second job he works on weekends,” he told The Australian.

Marsh called on CA to refuse the arrangement with the BCCI or face the consequences.

“Regardless of the decision made by the IPL, we would hope CA would act in good faith to its players by not taking this proposed 10 per cent,” he said. (ANI)