CA to reduce number of centrally contracted Oz players

Sydney, Feb 24(ANI): Cricket Australia (CA) chief James Sutherland has said he wants a new contract system that would reduce the number of number of players with central contracts.

Sutherland said he would like the cricket board to reward players based on their performances through an incentive scheme, and added that the board wants Australian players to be the best-paid cricketers in the world.

"We want Australia's cricketers to be the best-paid cricketers in the world, and I'm pretty sure, they are," The Age quoted Sutherland, as saying.

He said everyone is going to benefit from this new system since it's based on the performances of a player.

"No one's going to be worse off by this because the players' performances will justify it. We have 25 contracted players. There's probably four or five players who probably don't play enough games within the year to get an upgrade," he said.

"So those funds (base payments on contracts) could have gone to other players," Sutherland added.

Sutherland believes the new proposed system would ensure that the right player gets the right amount of money for his hard work.

"One of the ways this could be addressed is by having a reduced number of contracts. You have a smaller group that they (selectors) have greater confidence in. The right people will get the right pay," he said.

"Players get paid the same amount if we win four-nil against India or we lose four-nil. Does that make sense to all of us?" he added.

Sutherland claimed the CA proposal would add flexibility to the contract system. (ANI)