Countries Which Pay Cricketers The Most: Cricket has reached a long way in terms of value in money. The various broadcasters are unhesitatingly eager to spend whatever amount to secure the rights to the game. The introduction of T20 tournaments in countries where cricket is played has also acted as a catalyst for revenue growth for the various cricket governing bodies. Let’s look at the players’ overall earnings from the completed ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales.
England – INR 78.31 Crores
The England Cricket Board (ECB) granted 10 Test contracts and 13 white-ball contracts in September 2018. The performance, off-field contributions, fielding, and fitness requirements used to grade all English players are the foundation for their pay. According to Metro, the remuneration ranged from €120,000 (Rs 1.05 crores) to €1,500,000 for the 2017–18 season (Rs 13.24 crores). For the 2019–20 season, it is anticipated that the compensation structure will not change.
India – 62 Crores
The wealthiest cricket governing body in the world is the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). 25 Indian cricketers into four categories received government contracts for the 2019–20 season. Indian football players make a comparatively high wage compared to players from most other nations. The salary scale is INR 7 crores, INR 5 crores, INR 3 crores, and INR 1 crore, correspondingly, for grades A+, A, B, and C. 14 out of the 15 players in the Indian World Cup squad are on central contracts. In all, the Indian team’s players make 62 crores INR.
South Africa – 25.32 Crores
Sixteen players have been handed yearly central contracts by Cricket South Africa (CSA) for the 2019–20 season. Imran Tahir and JP Duminy, two seasoned cricketers, did not have their contracts renewed. Reeza Hendricks and Theunis de Bruyn were added under new agreements this year. Nine players from the current South African side have been given core contracts, except Dale Steyn, who has been disqualified from the competition. They earn about 25.32 crores in salaries.
Australia – INR 20.26 Crores
The base salary for a male international cricket player for the first year of this contract is AUD 278,100. (Rs 1.34 crores). In the last year of the agreement, 2021–2022, this will increase by 15.9% to AUD 313,004. (Rs 1.51 crores). Over AUD 500 million is the arrangement’s expected overall worth over the following five years. Thus, the annual salary for the 15 Australian cricketers is AUD 4,171,500 for only their base pay. In addition to their average wages, the 13 cricket players under the core contract earn a revenue share in addition to their average salaries.
New Zealand – 18.72 Crores
New Zealand Cricket has made public the 20 players’ central contracts for the 2019–20 campaign. Despite adding three players, three cricketers with arrangements for the 2018–19 season could not participate. The top 20 players are also compensated according to their rankings, which range from 1 to 20. The actual sum paid to the players has not been made public by NZC. However, a player’s typical annual salary might be around $180,000. (Rs 1.2 lakhs). The overall compensation for the World Cup’s 15 players may be close to USD 2,700,000 because they are all centrally contracted.
Sri Lanka – INR 17.35 Crores
Despite struggling in international cricket after the 2015 World Cup, Sri Lankan players have seen their salary caps rise due to the board’s profits in 2017. Last year, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) generated a staggering 34 percent profit, which allowed 33 additional athletes to get raises in pay. A, B, C, D, and Premier were the five categories into which all players were divided. According to Sports Aeon, eleven of the team’s 15 members now have central contracts. The sum of their salaries is around $2,502,280.
West Indies – INR 12.83 Crores
Eighteen cricketers received annual contracts from Cricket West Indies (WI) in October 2018, and these agreements were good through June 30, 2019. Every year, the CWI pays the retainers for all formats $300,000 (Rs 2.08 crores). Red-ball and white-ball retainers are anticipated to make between $250,000 (Rs 1.73 crores) and $200,000 (Rs 1.39 crores) annually, depending on their experience level. Only seven of the fifteen players for the Windies are under central contracts. The Windies team’s players thus earn an estimated $1,850,000 in total compensation.
Pakistan – 3.91 Crores
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released the central contracts for players in August 2018. Five groupings of the 33 players that won contracts were created. SamaaTV claims that the board compensates Category A players PKR 0.8 million (about Rs 3.8 lakh) per month. All Pakistan’s World Cup squad players, except Mohammad Hasnain, have central contracts. They make PKR 8,28,00,000 in total annually.
Bangladesh – INR 3.15 Crores
A+, A, B, and “Rookie” categories make up Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) centralised contract system for its players. According to Wikipedia, the salaries for these four classes are respectively $57,000 (Rs 39.59 lakhs), $43,000 (Rs 29.87 lakhs), $28,000 (Rs 19.45 lakhs), and $14,000 (Rs 9.72 lakhs). The board increased the players’ compensation since those with central contracts are comparatively lower due to Grade C and D’s recent dissolution. Only 11 of the 15 World Cup players have central contracts worth $455,000 annually.
Afghanistan – INR 72.82 Lakhs
Everyone with a complicated life may benefit from the success of the Afghanistan Cricket Team in international cricket. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), a young organisation, pays its players a modest salary compared to organisations like the BCCI or ECB. That is comprehensible. While he was captain, Asghar Afghan received the highest compensation of any cricketer on the team. The scenario could be a little different now that there are three distinct commanders for three unique shapes. On average, it costs $550 annually, which comes to nearly $6,600 per cricketer.
