COVID-19 Impact: England players agree 15% pay cut as pandemic hits ECB revenues

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Friday that their cricketers on central contract had agreed to take a 15 per cent paycut for a year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on finances.

Just last week, the ECB has said that they had sustained losses of over $130 million in the last financial year due to the suspension of cricket because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“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,” England men’s cricket managing director Ashley Giles said.

“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,” he added.

Batsmen Zak Crawley, Dom Sibley and Ollie Pope were among 12 players who were handed central test contracts while all-rounder Tom Curran’s increment contract for white ball cricket was upgraded.

The pay cut is made up of match fees, win bonuses and retainers with the 12-month period starting from Oct. 1. England recently hosted tours by the West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and Australia, playing in mostly empty stadiums.

After reporting losses of over $130 million, the ECB had implemented short-term cost-cutting measures, including furloughing staff, significant pay reductions and a recruitment freeze.