Australian Cricketers Association president Michael Kasprowicz believes the strident criticism that Simon Katich unleashed on the part-time selectors following his recent sacking will help increase the game's professionalism.
Published: Jun 22, 2011, 01:17 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 22, 2011, 01:17 PM (IST)
Simon Katich criticised Australian selectors after he was not given contract for the 2011-12 season © Getty Images
Melbourne: Jun 22, 2011
Australian Cricketers Association president Michael Kasprowicz believes the strident criticism that Simon Katich unleashed on the part-time selectors following his recent sacking will help increase the game’s professionalism.
Katich, who was recently axed from the list of centrally contracted players, had accused the selectors of “inconsistent selection policies” and termed his omission as “absolutely ridiculous”.
Endorsing Katich’s stand against part-time selectors the former Aussie speedster said, “If there is going to be an improvement in the process maybe they do have to make it more of a profession,” Kasprowicz was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.
He also said that there have been some good feedbacks coming in.
“Seeing what’s been happening with Simon Katich, there has been some good feedback,” Kasprowicz said at the ACA’s annual golf day to raise money for its player hardship fund.
Stating that three out of the four selectors, including chairman Andrew Hilditch, are part timers, with some paid as little as USD 40,000, Kasprowicz said, “It’s like all organisations. If you want to get good people you want to remunerate them.”
Cricket Australia (CA) has been hit hard by the high Australian dollar, almost halving its major source of income, television rights from India and England. It has also forced CA and the six state associations to reduce costs by five percent across the board.
ACA chief Paul Marsh, however, claimed CA might not be able to afford full-time selectors in the short term. “We’re all aware that the financial situation in Australian cricket at the moment is in a concerning state,” he said.
“In a perfect world you would have full-time selectors that are being paid. I understand that Cricket Australia is not flush with money so there has to be a little bit of realism about the situation,” Marsh insisted.
CA, meanwhile, claimed it was not taking money away from elite development programs to start up its new eight-team Twenty20 Big Bash.
“The exchange rate has moved a long way since we did our media contracts and media contracts are the backbone of Australian Cricket’s revenue,” a CA spokesman said.
© PTI
