The best male players’ earning power has exploded in recent years; it’s those on fringes that must worry most about Covid-19
The gravy train has slipped into reverse for the first time in 20 years. Old cricketers are often asked when has been the best time to play the game. The stock answer is: “I’m glad I played in my era,” and the explanation generally includes: “More characters, more camaraderie, more beer, more fun … no bleep tests, no all-seeing mobile phones, no social media … and admittedly not much money.” My response, however, has generally been that this is the best time to be a professional cricketer – at least until 2019.
This cannot entirely be put down to my being a money-grabbing old curmudgeon, though there is no doubt that the modern professional cricketer at county as well as international level has been much better rewarded than those of three or four decades ago. Moreover the advent of central contracts in 2000 enabled our best cricketers to have a bit of security and, more significantly, a bit of respite in between their international commitments. It now seems positively neanderthal that Ian Botham in 1981 – when he was quite busy with England – played nine County Championship matches for Somerset and 18 one-day games.
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